2 Guilford High School Students Receive CABE Leadership Awards

Information via Guilford Public Schools

GUILFORD, CT — Two Guilford High School students were recently presented with leadership awards from the CT Association of Boards of Education (CABE).

GHS seniors Anushree Ajgaonkar and Sergio Garcia-Perez received the awards, as recommended by GHS Principal Julia Chaffe, at the May 13 Guilford Board of Education meeting.

The awards are given to students who exemplify the following leadership skills: willingness to take on challenges; capability to make difficult decisions; concern for others; ability to work with others; diplomacy; ability to understand issues clearly; and ability to honor a commitment.

Ajgaonkar mobilized students and the community to raise $2,200 in aid for earthquake survivors in Syria and Turkey in 2023.

As a key member of the Cultural Competence Committee, she also worked to gather over 200 GHS signatures to launch the "No Place for Hate" initiative at GHS, championing diversity and acceptance within the school community, the school district said.

Ajgaonkar has participated in the Feminist Alliance, and has "distinguished herself academically and as a leader of her peers," the school district said.

She serves as the senior class co-president and has earned recognition in organizations such as the National Honor Society and Leadership Congress.

"In all endeavors, Anushree epitomizes the values of altruism, leadership, and dedication, and she serves as an inspiration to those around her to make a positive difference in their communities," the school district noted.

Garcia-Perez spearheaded the inaugural Multicultural Festival at GHS this past winter, the school district said.

The celebration promoted and honored cultural influences found in the greater New Haven area and brought to the Guilford community an evening of vibrant cultural exchange, according to the school district.

Garcia-Perez also actively volunteers with ARTE Inc. Saturday Academy as a guitar teacher to aspiring musicians, and is a mentor and volunteer in the Cultural Integration Mentoring Program, which works with middle school students in New Haven.

Other roles for Garcia-Perez include serving as treasurer for the French Honor Society, and a participant in Unified Sports, which earned him recognition at the CIAC Connecticut Summit, according to

the school district. Garcia-Perez has been involved in both Leadership Congress and the Cultural Competence Committee at GHS.

"Sergio leaves behind him a legacy of celebrating cultural diversity in the Guilford community and has actively fostered empathy and cultural responsiveness among his peers," the school district said.