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.