Local Early Decision Students Ivy League Bound

Two Red Bank Regional (RBR) students already know that they will be heading to Ivy League Universities this fall. 

Kiana Robinson of Fair Haven and Luke Roskowinski of Littler Silver applied to their first choice schools through the early decision process. Luke Roskowinski will be attending Wharton Business School, part of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia. Kiana will study liberal arts in Columbia University in New York City.

Another thing that the students have in common is that they are children of RBR staff members. Peter Roskowinski is RBR’s culinary teacher and Erika Robinson is an Advanced Placement English teacher.

The school described the students in a recent announcement of their acceptances;

Kiana Robinson is a RBR Visual and Performing Arts creative writing major. She is a four-year honor roll student, Vice President of the French Honor Society and member of The English Honor Society. She served on the Student Council for three years and the French club for four years. She is Poetry Editor of the Crow’s Next student publication, as well as a Student-to-Student Peer Leader.

Her most coveted activity is Co-President of BACA (Black American Cultural Association) where she organized and participated in a special African American Awareness program for Black History Month during her junior year. Through the club, she has encouraged other black students to challenge themselves in taking the most rigorous courses their high school offers.

Her volunteer service includes preparing and serving food at Lunch Break in Red Bank and participation in the Relay for Life. She also participated in the state sponsored STAR Program where she served as a student liaison to the State Department of Education.

She said that her love affair with Columbia began when she stepped into the architecturally astounding Low Library and encountered a statue of Buddha, whose philosophies and values most reflect her own and that of her beloved father, who passed away unexpectedly during her sophomore year.  Columbia’s unique and strong liberal art curriculum as well as its oasis campus in the middle of the culturally rich and diverse NYC made it her first choice college. She is considering becoming a doctor, specializing either in pediatrics or psychiatry.

Luke Roskowinski is a very engaging, charismatic young man who served as his graduating class’s President in his first two years of high school and then was elected to Student Council President for the past two years. He claims one of his favorite assignments was routinely reporting to the Board of Education on student activities and accolades.

Luke is a Student-to-Student Leader as well as a Peer Mediator. He is a President of the Math League, a member of the Science League and a founding member of the Culinary Club. His academic honors include membership in the National and Spanish Honor Societies; he serves as Executive Director in the latter. He is a New Jersey Scholars Program semi-finalist and AP scholar with honors.

Luke is a scholar athlete and earned two varsity letters for football. His community activities include representation in the Rotary Youth Leaders’ Academy, volunteer service for Lifestyles for the Disabled and participation in the annual Special Olympics’ Polar Bear Plunge.

Luke was attracted to Penn for its beautiful campus within a city and the hands-on business programs offered at Wharton. He intends to pursue college with the same gusto he tackled high school in taking advantages of all its opportunities. He encourages his fellow high school students to do the same.

He is most proud of his class’s conscientious attempts to increase school spirit at RBR and states, “It was so important getting the message out that school spirit is about everything-- the plays, creative writing events, etc… as well as athletics.”

Currently Luke’s career aspirations include becoming an entertainment representative like Ari Gold in the popular TV program Entourage. Watch for Luke starring as “Sir Studley” in RBR’s upcoming spring musical, Once Upon A Mattress.