Board of Education Recognizes Scholars, Athletes, Engineers, Scientists and a Teacher

At the June 2 Board of Education Study Session, the Board recognized many students for their accomplishments and one teacher as well. Congratulations to the following individuals on their recognition.

Shared Time Teacher of the Year

The Board honored Linda Riley-Hathorne, a Kindergarten teacher at Christ the King Catholic School, Detroit as the Berkley Schools Shared Time Teacher of the Year. Shared Time is a State of Michigan Program that allows for public and non-public schools to partner on eligible non-core elective classes such as art, music, PE, modern language, media, computers, as well as Kindergarten which is not a required grade. Linda’s principal shared, “Her classroom is a place of warmth, joy, and curiosity, where every student feels seen and supported. Ms. Riley brings creativity, patience, and a deep love for learning to everything she does.”

Maxfield Science Symposium

Students who received scholarships for the BHS Maxfield Science Symposium were honored at the Board meeting. Students explored a different scientific topic and created their own experiment to present In front of a panel of current and former Science teachers. Students were awarded scholarships from the Berkley Education Foundation.

Gold Scholarship

Lucas Carter, junior, Lasers, a Better way to Grow Popcorn?

Jo Lagerstrom, sophomore, Ladybird Beetle Food Choice Chambers

Silver Scholarship

Mia Mracna, sophomore, The Effects of Different Solutions on Tooth Enamel

Lydia Binelli, junior, The Effects of Caffeine on Memory

Bronze Scholarship

Vincent Holder, sophomore, Organic vs Inorganic Soil

Victoria DeMarzio, sophomore, Effect of Social Media on Sleep for Teens

Honorable Mention

Giulliana Dao, freshman, How Different Sounds Affect the Quality of a Person's Sleep

Hannah Schueler, senior, Water Bottle Bacteria Levels

Berkley Robotics Team 247, Da Bears

The Board honored the Berkley High School Robotics Team 247, Da Bears. The team, comprised of 7-12 grade students, competed at the State Robotics Championship at Saginaw Valley University on April 3-5, 2025. This was the first time in over a decade that Da Bears competed at states, and they finished 39th overall with a 3-9 record. The team faced tough competition, yet consistently scored points and demonstrated growth across all three phases of gameplay. Season highlights include earning the prestigious Judges Award, team alliance captains, and qualifying for States.

World of 8 Billion Video Contest State Winner

BHS Senior, Luke Anthony Demerre was recognized by the Board for receiving the State Honor for Michigan in the international World of 8 Billion student video contest for his video, “Digital Detoxes [A Retreat from the Virtual World].” Luke Anthony’s video was selected as the best video in Michigan.

Sponsored by Population Education, the contest invites young people to explore the challenges of population growth and propose sustainable solutions. Luke Anthony’s video production teacher Caye Matthews shared, “I am so proud of his hardwork and dedication.”

Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Champion

BHS junior, and Oakland Schools Technical Campus student, Owen Church was honored for finishing in first place at the Business Professionals of America State Leadership Competition in Grand Rapids. Owen competed in the Computer Programming division and took first in Fundamentals of Web Design. This qualified him to compete at the National Leadership Conference in Orlando, FL where he took the stage and placed 7th overall in the Nation for Fundamentals of Web Design.

Male Soccer Player of the Year Candidate

Kai Nielsen, BHS Senior, was recognized by the Board for being nominated as one of the candidates for the Detroit Free Press 2024-25 Male Soccer Player of the Year. Kai, a forward for the BHS Soccer team, is one of 12 male players nominated for this award, which will be announced in June at the Detroit High School Sports Awards show.

Class of 2025, Top 5%

Congratulations to the top 5% of the Class of 2025. The Board honored the following students for their academic accomplishments, and students shared their plans for next year.

• Kai Nielsen, University of Michigan
• Emile Jenkins, MIT - Mathematics
• Ann Redman, University of Wisconsin Madison - Biomedical Engineering
• Luke Anthony Demerre, University of Michigan
• Ava Cohen, University of Michigan - Chemistry
• Jack Saltsman, Georgia Tech - Mechanical Engineering
• Jacob Carter, Michigan Technological University - Software Engineering
• Lucy Pugh, University of Michigan - Environment
• Samuel George, University of Michigan - Economics, Political Science
• Ella Francis, University of Michigan - Neuroscience
• Violet Karp, University of Michigan - Philosophy, Politics & Economics
• Noreen Sleeman, University of Michigan - Biology
• Delaney Reed, Grand Valley State University Frederick Meijer Honors College - Pre-Med
• Lucy Cohen, DePaul University - Communications
• Hannah Schueler, Michigan Tech - Biological Sciences