OFFICERS
President
 Aurora
Lopez is a senior at Secaucus High School
and Co-President of the Secaucus GIFT student chapter. She
is an active student involved in various extra-curricular
activities, including school plays, chorus, and is Captain
of the Secaucus High School Marching Band Dance Team. Aurora
has won awards in recognition for her poety and has had
them published in the school's annual edition of Metamorphosis
and in the International Library of Poetry publication.
She is a graduate of The Barbizon School of Modeling and
Acting and the NUSTARS Acting Network program. In addition
to being a student, she is also an active member of her
community. Aurora is a member of her church's youth group
and has participated in three annual productions of "The
Stations of the Cross". The youth group also filmed
two movies that won "best story" awards at the
Archdiocese of Newark Film Festivals.
Aurora has been a member of the GIFT student
chapter since 2003. She took over the role of co-president
in 2007 and prior to then she was an Officer in Training
(OIT). By using the leadership skills that she has gained
from attending the Global Youth Forums, Aurora is working
to help the GIFT chapter improve and grow. She is also a
volunteer and strong supporter of the Wrap4ASmile Foundation
Inc., organization. Aurora appeared as a guest speaker on
the Bayonne Cable Channel "If the Shoe Fits",
to promote the Wrap4ASmile Foundation and talked about their
fund raiser event. Aurora is aware of those less fortunate
then her and is working to do eveything in her power to
help them and fullfill her goal of providing peace through
understanding. She is very caring and values the importance
of youth participation in community activities and services.
Aurora plans to attend college and pursue her goal of one
day becoming a fashion designer.
President
 Chantal
Lin Lopez is an honor student attending
her junior year in the Science and Mathematics Academy at
Secaucus High School. While Chantal is academic and studious,
she also has a passion for the arts. She is a ‘triple
threat’ performer, taking private voice lessons, Broadway
acting workshops and was accepted into the week-long Radio
City Rockette Summer Intensive in New York City two years
in a row. Chantal has also studied various forms of dance
(ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, pointe and hip-hop) since the
age of 3. As a member of her dance school’s award
winning competition team, she has been able to perform for
many charitable events, from putting on shows at hospitals,
senior citizen centers and churches, to raising funds for
Katrina hurricane victims and breast cancer research. Chantal
is also involved with her dance school’s annual holiday
benefit show, whose proceeds last year were donated to the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and this year will
go to Tomorrow’s Children Fund.
Looking back, there have been several events in Chantal’s
life that have contributed to her drive to ‘give back’
and promote tolerance. As an infant, Chantal developed a
lip disfigurement known as a hemangioma, and while it receded
by time she became a teenager, it has made her want to help
others through organizations such as Operation Smile.
Chantal also came to the realization at a very young age
that even when affected by negative events, one can have
a positive impact on the world. Chantal had just begun the
fourth grade when the events of September 11 unfolded. While
other children were not as fortunate, Chantal was able to
be reunited with her mother, who escaped from the 97th floor
of the second World Trade Center tower. It was these events
that led Chantal and her family to join the People to People
International's GIFT chapter shortly after the chapter was
founded. Through community service projects and cultural
events, Chantal has learned that we can make the world a
better place by educating oneself to understand and accept
different cultures, and by helping those less fortunate.
When Chantal graduates, she will rest assured that her legacy
will continue in the hands of her younger brother Christopher.
Vice President
 Cassandra
Penna has been a volunteer with People to
People International's Gift Chapter since 2005. In 2006
she became a part of the OIT program and in 2007 was elected
to the office of Vice President. She also has been a volunteer
with the Wrap4ASmile Foundation Inc. since 2005. She has
been a Junior Friends of the Library since 2003 and the
Reading Buddies Program at the Secaucus Public Library since
2007. She participated in Relay for Life in 2007 and 2008.
Cassie is currently participating in an effort to defer
costs for families at the Ronald McDonald House and Cell
Phones for Soldiers. Cassie was awarded the Bronze Presidential
Volunteer Service Award in 2006, for 61 hours of service
and the Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award in 2007,
for 129 hours of volunteer service.
Cassie is a Junior at Secaucus High School, participating
in the Media Arts Academy, Dance Team, Concert Chorus, Literary
Explorers Club, Rebel, Metamorphosis and Kiwanis Key Club.
She has performed in the High School Musical Beauty and
the Beast, as “Madame de la Grand Bouche”, and
won the Cappie Award along with other enchanted objects
for best ensemble; Hello Dolly as tourist/ensemble; and
Guys and Dolls as a Havana dancer/ensemble. In 2003, she
won the essay contest for “The Importance of Freedom”.
In 2004 a letter she wrote was selected and sent to President
Bush to represent her class. 2005 she received a certificate
of Recognition for her outstanding performance in Science.
2006 Cassie was accepted into the North Jersey Junior High
School Regional Chorus and in 2006 she sang the solo for
her eighth grade Graduation Ceremony at Secaucus Middle
School. Her interests outside of school are acting, singing,
dancing, piano, and guitar. Cassie has attended Broadway
Bound, Action Theatre Conservatory, New Jersey School of
Dramatic Arts, Asolo Reparatory Theatre in Sarasota, FL.,
Jamie’s Music, and has recently been accepted into
CAP21 in NYC. Cassie has perform in the following community
productions: The Girl, Witness for the Prosecution- Evoke
Productions; Margaret March, Little Women- McKenzie Music
Studio & Productions; The Narrator in Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat- McKenzie Music Studio &
Productions; Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz- Roche Players; Mr.
Stahlbaum, Hip Hop Nutcracker-ATC; Ensemble, The King and
I- CAST: and several original Musicals- Broadway Bound.
Treasurer
 Zachary
Dreiss is a senior at Secaucus High School.
He is also a member of the Science Academy. He is passionate
about his school work, athletics, and the importance of
local communities. He is a member of the high school varsity
soccer team and the indoor track and field team. Zachary
is the president of the Mu Alpha Theta and is a member of
several other honor societies.
Secretary
 Erica
Mawabi is a senior at Benedictine Academy
in Elizabeth, NJ. She is an honors student and is involved
in several extra curricular scholastic activities in her
school. Erica has been a member of PTPI's GIFT since 2004
and recently took on the role of Secretary. Erica is actively
involved in her community. She has helped at several food
banks, soup kitchens, volunteered at local senior citizen
centers, and has assisted in numerous charitable events.
She is also an active volunteer with the Wrap4ASmile Foundation
Inc. organization.
Erica was crowned “2008 National American Miss Teen
New Jersey Cover Girl”. National American Miss is
a pageant designed to help promote self confidence, self
esteem, and natural beauty in all of it contestants
OFFICERS IN TRAINING
(OIT)
School Year 2008 - 2009
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
Victoria Detmering, Laura Soto-Bayomi, Jordan Lienhard,
Laura Mondadori.
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