Town Journal
CBA Valedictorian Honored For Achievement
By Caitlin MacNeal
Alexander Wolkomir of Rumson was named the Star Ledger Scholar for Monmouth County. Wolkomir, the valedictorian of the class of 2009 at Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, will pursue his interest in international studies and business in the Huntsman Program at the University of Pennsylvania in the fall. The prestigious Huntsman Program enrolled only 48 students this year, and those enrolled in the program graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in international studies and a Bachelor of Science in economics.
"That [Star Ledger award] was a tremendous honor," said Wolkomir of the award. "And the ceremony was really well put together."
As part of the award, Wolkomir was asked to choose an influential teacher to be honored as well. He chose his French teacher Jeannine Maloney, his teacher for all of his four years at CBA.
"I was shocked," said Maloney about being chosen by her student to be honored. "It was something special." She also mentioned how rewarding it is when a student learns to love another culture and continues the study of a foreign language.
Wolkomir and Maloney were both honored at a ceremony at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on May 17. The Star Ledger Scholars program has offered 11 high school students partial scholarships each year for over 20 years.
Besides being a hard-working scholar and student leader, "He is a real gentleman," said Maloney. "He is very responsive to anything I've asked of him."
He is also interested in many subjects and extra-curriculars, to the point where he has no clear favorite. At the beginning of high school, Wolkomir was focused on math and science, but now he has gravitated towards history and foreign languages.
His favorite classes were the French classes taught by Maloney, and his Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. and European history classes junior and senior year. Now he is hoping to combine his interests in the Huntsmen program and potentially seek a career in international business or international law.
One of Wolkomir's favorite activities is Model United Nations, in which he competed at CBA and at the YMCA. This summer, he is working with the YMCA of Monmouth County Civic Engagement Division to help expand Model UN programs for middle and high schools in the area. He hopes to continue to work with middle and high school Model UN while in college.
Jeanine Maloney grew up in Lewiston, and her parents were of French-Canadian background, which sparked her particular interest in the language. She attended a Catholic grammar school where half of the school day was taught in French, which she said solidified her interest in the subject.
Maloney's French classes at CBA focus not only on the language and grammar, but also on the culture and people that speak the language. She stressed the need for students to understand the substantial differences between cultures, especially as the society we live in is becoming increasingly global. "The world is a small place," she said Wolkomir is ready to embrace the increasingly smaller yet diverse world he discovered in Maloney's classroom. When asked what advice he would give to a freshman in high school now, after a successful four years, Wolkomir said, "Don't be afraid to take risks... you might miss your passion."
