SV grad, student receive awards for inclusion
A Seneca Valley alumna and a current student received an award from Special Olympics Pennsylvania for exemplifying the values of leadership and inclusion.
Last month, 2021 graduate Taylor Wagstaff and student Nick Logero accepted the 2021 Unified Champion Schools Leadership Award, which is given to a pair of students who best exemplify leadership and inclusion on a Unified Sports team and within a school community.
Unified Champion Schools, or UCS, is a program that provides opportunities for people with and without intellectual disabilities to train and compete together on Unified Sports teams. The students also serve their school through youth leadership clubs.
Teachers can nominate one general education student and one student with intellectual disabilities for the leadership award, which is given by Special Olympics Pennsylvania.
Wagstaff and Logero were nominated by Seneca Valley Senior High School learning support teacher Katie Smolter based on their positive efforts and attitudes in the 2020-21 school year.
“I am beyond proud of their efforts in this initiative and they are so deserving on this recognition,” Smolter said.
Wagstaff organized and facilitated Seneca Valley's first Polar Plunge, which raised more than $4,000, and Smolter called Logero “a perfect example of the importance of inclusion.”
Wagstaff said she was glad to accept the award.
“We couldn't be more thankful,” she said.
