Over 30 students from area schools were honored this week at a ceremony at Warren County Community College in recognition of their successful entries in a poster contest to combat alcohol use. 

Titled “Follow Me, I Choose to Be Alcohol Free,” the 3rd annual contest was co-sponsored by the Warren County PTA Council and The Coalition for Healthy and Safe Communities, a program of the Family Guidance Center. The contest produced hundreds of entries from throughout the county. 

Presenting at the ceremony were Warren County Freeholder Director Jason Sarnoski and Norman Worth, General Manager and President of WRNJ Radio, Hackettstown.  

There was standing room only as nearly 100 honorees, parents and family members attended the event held at Warren County Community College. 

Contest winners were: 

In the 4th Grade category, from Greenwich Township Elementary School, Elle Galusha (First Place), from Knowlton Township Elementary School were 2nd Place winners Alexandria Mulligan and Alana Maxwell.  From Greenwich, Angela Lopes, Erinne Hathaway, and Aivy Ho took Third Place, Honorable Mention Emily Cooper, and People’s Choice winners Sierra Perst and Ella Choi.  

For the 5thGrade category, representing Oxford Central School Bridget McGrath earned First Place honors, with Honorable Mention going to Connor Macalalad and Kyle Heinrich earning the People’s Choice distinction. In addition, Greenwich Township Elementary School had Second Place winners Billy Gemma and Brian Migliaccio, Third Place honoree Beth Kelly, and Honorable Mentions Daniela Suarez, Keya Gulati and Bryelle Gritz.  

For 6th through 8th Grades, First Place went to Diana DeVincenzi and Second Place went to Kourtnie Dwornikoski, both of Knowlton Township School.  Also from Knowlton was People’s Choice winner Olivia DiGuiseppi. Aidan McLaughlin and Michele Ganova of Oxford Central School tied for Third Place, and Honorable Mentions were awarded to Emma Hickey and Emma Dalrymple of Harmony Township School and Madison Paseler of Frelinghuysen Township School.  

In the High School category, Gretchen Ginsberg and Acadia Herbst of Hackettstown High School took First and Second Place, respectively.  Also from Hackettstown were the Third Place winners Abigail Allardice and Nicole Roberts, and People’s Choice winner Christina Stanton. And earning the Honorable Mention were AJ Lea and Emily Quinones from Warren Hills Regional High School.  

The winners (first place through honorable mention) were each presented with a Certificate of Achievement by Sam Thompson and Jhesenia Quintero, Warren Hills Regional High School Peer Leadership Students, along with Warren County PTA President Paul Rinaldi.

The certificates acknowledged the students’ accomplishments from the Warren County PTA and the Coalition of Healthy and Safe Communities.  In addition, a citation from the Senate and General Assembly of New Jersey was awarded to each of the winners.  This citation extended commendations and praise to the students on behalf of Michael Doherty, New Jersey State Senator; John DiMaio, Member of the New Jersey General Assembly; and Erik Peterson, Member of the New Jersey General Assembly, from the 23rd District, and from the 24th District, which also covers part of Warren County, State Senator Steve Oroho, and Assembly Members Parker Space and Gail Phoebus.

In addition to the Masters of Ceremonies and Presenters, the Coalition expressed gratitude to the Warren County PTA Council, Washington Borough Business Improvement District, Warren County Community College, Gibson’s Gym, and the Warren County School District’s staff, administration and students for supporting the contest and the health and wellness of the county’s youth.