2008 Board of Directors
President
Bruce Bornick, ‘79
Vice President
Bob Weiss, ‘71
Treasurer
George Martin, ‘56
Membership Committee
Bill Griffiths, ‘61
Programs Committee
Deirdre Dixon, ‘84
Admissions Committee
Dan O’Dell, ‘78
Newsletter
Robert Brown, ‘73
Networking Committee
Ron Trowbridge, ‘71
Information Mgt Committee
Peter Stark, ‘89
Awards Committee
Ray Quiñones, ‘76
Jerry Mohr ‘74
Sr Advisor
Joe House, ‘57
Legal Advisor
John Bencivenga, ‘86
Army Sports Liaison
Hope Donnelly, 86
Former Presidents
Richard Bradford, ‘86
Don Lionetti, ‘61
Bruce Simpson, ‘73
Board Members:
David Katz, ’81
Emmett Lee, ‘50
Mike Long ‘94
Mike Miller ‘01
Re Pinkcombe ‘01
Greg Pitts ‘83
Bob Worthington ‘71
Parents Club President
Mike Benson
West Point Society – Florida West Coast
3906 Caravel Lane
Valrico, FL 33596-8425
(813) 681-2756
February 8, 2009
Announcement of the
Recipients
The West Point Society of the Florida West Coast has selected the 2009 recipients of their annual annual
. The students were nominated by their school administrations and chosen by the Society’s leadership board as high school juniors who demonstrate exceptional performance in academics, athletics, community service, good citizenship and leadership.
This year’s recipients are:
 Allyson Freedy - Berkeley Prep


Amber Mirajkar - C. Leon King
Diana Nelson - Manatee
 Erika Kolakowski - Plant City
 Patrick Hacker - Newsome
The West Point Society – Florida West Coast (WPS-FWC) chapter sponsors the
of West Point and its commitment to
to recognize and honor high school students who have distinguished themselves in a manner reflective of the ideals

4.0 scale)
 Essay on
This was the eighth year we invited high schools to participate from the Florida West Coast area. We recognize five outstanding juniors a year. The high school principal, or designated representative, selects candidates based on qualities and performance in the following areas:
 Character and Attitude
 Leadership Achievement, to include Community Involvement
 Athletic Ability
Academic Standing (Minimum Unweighted Grade Point Average of 3.5 on a
(300 words)
The 11-person Selection Board of local West Point alumni deliberated over the applications before selecting the recipients. We plan to present
to the students at their school’s recognition ceremonies in April and May. Highlights of the students’ accomplishments are:
 Allyson Freedy, daughter of Sharon and Marvin Freedy of Clearwater, Berkeley
Preparatory School – Allyson holds an unweighted GPA of 4.00. She is Vice-
President of her French Club and also mentors students in geometry, writing and science for her school. Allyson is an active band and school newspaper staff member. She plays Basketball and golf at the varsity level. Her community involvement efforts include service with Morton Plant Hospital, Light of Christ
Acolyte, and sports camp counselor. Allyson was also recognized for her
 performance at the state and national Mu Alpha Theta conventions in math.
Amber Mirajkar, daughter of Karen and Sabir Mirajkar of Apollo Beach, C. Leon
King High School – Amber has maintained a 4.00 unweighted GPA and is Captain of the King tennis team. She is also a violinist in her school orchestra, a member of the Performing Arts Center’s Patel Conservatory Youth and All Country orchestras as well as a member of the National Forensic League and King chairperson for the Model United Nations. Amber’s community service includes

participation at he St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital Christmas concert and Relay for Life, with which she was her team co-captain and plans to be captain next year.
 Diana Nelson, daughter of Margie and Mark Nelson of Bradenton, Manatee High School – Diana has maintained a 3.90 unweighted GPA and has been recognized for her accomplishments in the
Emerging Artists Competition and Art and Soul Fundraiser events. She has also been active in student government and Manatee High’s Key, Mu Alpha Theta and Junior Leadership Manatee clubs. Diana is captain of her Varsity Basketball team and is active with her school’s Track and
Cross Country teams as well as a club Road Race competitor. In her essay about the West Point
Motto,
she wrote about the selfless sacrifices of people like Mother
Teresa and Pat Tillman defining honor as
 Erika Kolakowski, daughter of Lisa and Keith Kolakowski of Plant City, Plant City High School –
Erika is currently ranked second in her junior class with an unweighted GPA of 4.00. She is captain of her Cross Country team and is an active competitor on Plant City’s Volleyball and Track teams. Among Erika’s awards and recognition highlights are her selection as a Hugh O’Brien
Youth Leadership ambassador, attendee at our local West Point Society’s Ethics Conference, and placement in the top three in the Optimist Club Oratorical contest. Her school and community service activities include Best Buddies, Mu Alpha Theta, Hillsborough County Citizens Advisory
Committee, as well as volunteering at various sports and Bible and youth groups.
 Patrick Hacker, son of Linda and Michael Hacker, Lithia, Newsome High School – Patrick has a
3.97 unweighted GPA and is ranked in the top 3% of his junior class. He is a member of his school’s Track and Soccer teams and has competed at the national level with his Valrico Soccer
Club team. Patrick’s academic interests also include the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society and
Anthropology Club. He is active in student government, serving on the pep rally and ethics committees as well as class and council leadership positions. Patrick has contributed over 130 hours towards causes such as tutoring and coaching, veterans’ service events, and food drives and helping reduce the impact of poverty with Metropolitan Ministries, Redlands Christian Migrant
Association, and the Emergency Care Help Organization of Brandon, FL.
In addition to a West Point plaque presented to the school to commemorate the current and future recipients, each student will receive:
 A personalized trophy;
 A certificate and congratulatory letter from our Chapter President;
 An invitation for the student and guidance counselor to attend and be recognized for their achievements at the Society’s annual Founder’s Day Banquet; and,
 A copy of In Search of Ethics, signed by the author Len Marrella.
It is the goal of WPS-FWC to recognize and honor high school juniors who have distinguished themselves in a manner reflective of the ideals of West Point. This award is also part of our Chapter’s community development objective to increase the awareness of and encourage application to West Point.
CONTACT: Ray Quiñones, Awards & Recognition, (813) 681-2756