by Aleicia Zhu
Ms. Mulvaney (L) and Ms. Bryant (R) offering
their congratulations to Anita (C) at the Brookdale ceremony.
On March 10th, BTHS senior Anita Osuri was presented with the Monmouth County Caring Award to recognize her efforts to help her community and the underserved. The Monmouth County Caring Award is a hard-won accolade requiring "exceptional caring/compassion to a cause, group, or program," nomination by school guidance counselors, and a video detailing the acts of service performed by the nominee.
Anita's video submission explaining her contributions to her community.
Nevertheless, it is an award well-deserved. Anita Osuri is a pillar of BTHS and has invested her wisdom into helping others. At school, she is the co-president of Students of Service, a club serving the BTHS community and beyond by hosting staff breakfasts, organizing food drives, and more. Not only is she compassionate, but she is also a diligent student as the president of National Honor Society at BTHS. Moreover, Anita has extensive experience as a volunteer and leader at both Aftercare and STEM & Buds, offering mentorship to her younger peers. These are only a few examples of Anita's character; her generosity and kindness are immeasurable.
Anita herself expresses deep gratitude for the award's recognition of her accomplishments, adding that she is"extremely grateful and humbled as a recipient of the Caring Award" and "it was extremely moving to see acts of kindness both local and global, and it truly reassured me that the future is in great hands."
Moreover, she'd like to thank those who have supported her in this journey. "Without their support and endless encouragement of my passions throughout these four years," Anita says, "this success would not be possible. I also want to thank my parents for always supporting me and pushing me to go outside of my comfort zone. The students at BTHS have also shown me the importance of teamwork and bouncing ideas off of each other. Many of the initiatives I mentioned in my caring award video were completed through the collaboration of other students and mutually using our diverse skillsets to create the most impact."
Finally, Anita has some closing advice to BTHS students: "It is important to realize that every student has the potential to create change in their community, whether big or small. I would recommend going outside of your comfort zone and seeing how you can use your passions and interests to support people locally and globally. Seeking opportunities to learn from mentors and using this experience to then lead/inspire others is another crucial part of caring in the community. I like to remind myself of the JFK quote 'Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.' Similarly, we should always be thinking about what we can do for the community, and take initiatives one step at a time." No doubt, Anita will be an inspiration for years to come.