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ROBBINSVILLE: RHS junior wins Widener leadership award

By Joanne Degnan, Managing Editor
   ROBBINSVILLE — Antonio Papa, a junior at Robbinsville High School, has been named a winner of the Widener University High School Leadership Awards given to young student leaders who make a difference in their communities.
   The program, now in its second year, recognized 93 juniors from high schools in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, who have demonstrated academic excellence and character traits that mark them as potential leaders. The students will be recognized at the National Constitution Center on Feb. 19 and are eligible for up to $20,000 in scholarship money if they enroll at Widener as undergraduates.
   Antonio, who plans to study computer science in college, is the software executive on Robbinsville High School’s robotics team, Nemesis Team 2590. Antonio is in charge of programming the robot for the FIRST Robotics Challenge competitions. Last year, the RHS robot was programmed to shoot basketballs and this year’s challenge is to program the robot to toss Frisbees and climb towers.
   Each fall, Widener University, in partnership with WCAU-TV NBC10, asks principals to nominate one junior from their high schools who exhibits strong leadership skills, academic excellence and exceptional character. The program then notifies the nominated students, who must submit an application and essay to be considered for the leadership award.
   ”This year, the High School Leadership Awards program has exceeded our expectations and it’s refreshing to see that there are so many students in our area who are demonstrating courage and leadership within their communities,” said Widener University President James T. Harris III in a new release.
   Eric Lerner, president and general manager of NBC10 in Philadelphia, commended the winners for their involvement in “wonderful initiatives in the communities they serve.”