Gloucester Alumni

By Douglas A. Moser , Staff writer
Gloucester Daily Times

School Committee Chairman Jonathan Pope, Superintendent Christopher Farmer and Principal Joseph Sullivan presented the awards in the high school lecture hall.

"It's for the students at the top of their class," Farmer said.

The Sawyer Medal is awarded based on cumulative grade-point averages from the previous school year. The top five at the end of their eighth- and ninth-grade years are awarded the medal. Medals are also given to the boy and girl with the highest grades at the end of their sophomore and junior years who have not been previous recipients.

In addition to the Sawyer medals, the College Women's Club of Cape Ann honored Daniel Aloisio with its award for the highest-achieving junior. Avery McNiff won the Harvard Prize Book for achievement as a junior.

Three students - James Donnelly, Elena Gaudiano and Aloisio - also received letters of commendation from the College Board, the institution that administers the Scholastic Aptitude Test and the National Merit Scholarship test, for their scores on the National Merit Scholarship test.

Samuel Sawyer, after whom the medal is named, gave much of himself and his earnings toward promoting education in Gloucester. Sawyer, born in Gloucester in 1815, donated the bell and clock at City Hall, built a public library in an old home, and left more than 700 acres of land to the city - now called Ravenswood Park - after his death in 1899. Sawyer Free Library bears his name.

In his will, he left his business earnings in a foundation to bestow medals of recognition on the brightest students in Gloucester. The award is a 131-year-old tradition.

Sawyer Medal Winners

Class of 2008 - Robert Harry Alves, Stephanie Patricia Wright

Class of 2009 - Marcus Dash Busby, Lucina May Fox Wakeman

Class of 2010 - Amy Gail Carpenter, Nancy Joann Frye, Daniel Emmett Martin, Christopher Clayton Peritore, Francesco Passalacqua

Class of 2011 - Alexandra Levie, Chase Kelly, Ariana Oshiro, Benjamin Chianciola, Hilary Ellis

College Women's Club of Cape Ann Award - Daniel Joseph Aloisio

Harvard Prize Book - Avery Cobb McNiff

Letters of Commendation - SAT/National Merit Scholarship -Daniel Joseph Aloisio, James Martin Donnelly, Elena Maria Gaudiano