Yale Book Awards, 2024

YWAA leaders will present the annual Yale Book Awards this spring, which are awarded to outstanding Westchester high school students. The schools select the winners, who are cited for excellence in academics, extracurricular activities and contributions to the community.

Book award winners in 2024 will be shown below, as winners are announced. In most years, awards are granted to students from over 25 Westchester high schools. 

Last year's winners included some who have started or led service organizations on campus, been engaged in research in biology, excelled in a broad range of AP courses, starred on sports teams (baseball, wrestling and soccer), and won county honors in band and music (violin and trumpet).

A list of some of the winners in 2023 and 2024 is shown below.

Teachers, counselors and principals help choose one student for each designated high school. Winners are highlighted at honors programs or school events and receive a selected book from YWAA and a certificate of achievement. 

In years past, the book included such titles as Yale Book of Quotations, Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideals That Reveal the Cosmos, and A Better Planet: Forty Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future. 

Winners, who are often students completing junior years, may consider applying to Yale, but are not required to do so. 

For more about YWAA Book Award presentations since 2014, click YALE-BOOK-AWARDS. 

Click YALE-WESTCHESTER to see a list of winners since 2008.

Yale Book Award Winners, 2024

Eastchester High School (Soo Jung Lee)

Edgemont High School (Justin Hu)

New Rochelle High School (Bryce Geohagen)

Port Chester High School (Jamie Daniela Perez Bardales)

Salesian High School (Gianmanuel Ferreira)

Scarsdale High School (A book was donated to the school library in honor of Merrill Clark '57, past president YWAA)

School of the Holy Child (Eleanor Hale)

Tuckahoe High School (Nicolo Tortorella)

Valhalla High School (Arko Navid Samad)

White Plains High School (Lance Anthony)

Woodlands High School (Saintcom Chauvette)

(The list will be updated as other winners are reported.)

Yale Book Award Winners, 2023

Eastchester High School (Lucy Mortensen)

Edgemont High School (Kathryn Lux Koch)

New Rochelle High School (Eileen Weisner)

Port Chester High School (Frances Nakeysha Fevrier)

Salesian High School (Joseph Roman IV)

Scarsdale High School (Kyle Pidedjian)

School of the Holy Child (Rebecca Weigle)

Tuckahoe High School (Joanne Arana)

Valhalla High School (Sarthak Bagchi)

White Plains High School (Shariya Hasan)

Woodlands High School (Alexander Maiello)

Yale Book Awards, 2023

This spring YWAA leaders presented the annual Yale Book Awards, which are awarded to outstanding Westchester high school students. The schools select the winners, who are cited for excellence in academics, extracurricular activities and contributions to the community.

A preliminary list of this year's winners is shown below. As more schools announce winners, the list will increase. In most years, awards are granted to students from over 25 Westchester high schools. 

This year's winners include some who have started or led service organizations on campus, been engaged in research in biology, excelled in a broad range of AP courses, starred on sports teams (baseball, wrestling and soccer), and won county honors in band and music (violin and trumpet)

Teachers, counselors and principals help to choose one student for each designated high school. Winners are highlighted at honors programs or school events and receive a selected book from YWAA and a certificate of achievement. 

In years past, the book included such titles as Yale Book of Quotations, Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideals That Reveal the Cosmos, and A Better Planet: Forty Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future. 

Winners, who are often students completing junior years, may consider applying to Yale, but are not required to do so. 

For more about YWAA Book Award presentations since 2014, click YALE-BOOK-AWARDS. 

Click YALE-WESTCHESTER to see a list of winners since 2008, 

Yale Book Awards Winners, 2023 (as of July-2023)

Eastchester High School (Lucy Mortensen)

Edgemont High School (Kathryn Lux Koch)

New Rochelle High School (Eileen Weisner)

Port Chester High School (Frances Nakeysha Fevrier)

Salesian High School (Joseph Roman IV)

Scarsdale High School (Kyle Pidedjian)

School of the Holy Child (Rebecca Weigle)

Tuckahoe High School (Joanne Arana)

Valhalla High School (Sarthak Bagchi)

White Plains High School (Shariya Hasan)

Woodlands High School (Alexander Maiello)

Yale Book Awards, 2022

Yale Westchester continues its tradition of celebrating outstanding high school students in the county by presenting its annual Book Awards this spring. Over the next few months, YWAA board members will award books to students from over 30 high schools in Westchester.

Each participating high school selects a junior deserving of the award. The broad criteria include excellence in academics, contributions in the community and outstanding participation in extracurricular activities. YWAA also requests schools choose students based on "outstanding personal character and intellectual promise." Students who receive the award do not have to express interest in applying to or attending Yale, but many choose to do so.

YWAA board member are assisting in organizing the program in 2022 and coordinate with participating schools to arrange for presentations of the awards.

In 2021, 33 Westchester students received the Book Award. Participating schools included such schools as Edgemont, Eastchester, the German School, Horace Greely, Salesian, Ursuline, Roosevelt, Woodlands, Yorktown, Scarsdale, and other schools throughout Westchester (public and private).

In 2022, participating schools to date include Eastchester, Edgemont, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Salesian, Scarsdale, School of the Holy Child, Tuckahoe, Valhalla, White Plains, and Woodlands. 

The program is not associated with Yale admissions. For some students, the award introduces them to Yale, and they may apply on their own. YWAA's long-time objective has been to recognize exceptional achievement in Westchester schools.

The program is supported by YWAA and alumni donations. For more about the program, go to YWAA Book Award. Click 2021, 2020, and 2019 to see the lists of winners in recent years.

Alumni who wish to make donations to the program can do so by clicking YWAA Donations.

Yale Book Awards, 2020

YWAA board members will distribute Yale Book Awards to as many as 50 high school students in Westchester this spring (YWAA photo)

Yale Westchester continues its tradition of celebrating outstanding high school students in the county by presenting its annual Book Awards this spring.  Over the next few months, YWAA board members will award books to students from as many as 50 high schools in Westchester.  

Each participating high school selects a junior deserving of the award. The broad criteria include excellence in academics, contributions in the community and outstanding participation in extracurricular activities. YWAA also requests schools choose students based on "outstanding personal character and intellectual promise." Students who receive the award do not have to express interest in applying to or attending Yale, but many choose to do so. 

In 2020, each student will receive either

·   “Yale Book of Quotations”, edited by Fred Shapiro, Associate Librarian and Lecturer in legal research at the Yale Law School.

Or the two books:

·   "Mapping the Heavens:  The Radical Scientific Ideas That Reveal the Cosmos" by Priyamvada Natarajan, Professor of Astronomy and Physics at Yale University.

·   “A Better Planet: Forty Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future”, edited by Daniel C. Esty, Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy at Yale School of the Environment and Yale Law School.

(Click on the links for more details about each book.)

Students also receive a Yale Westchester tote bag and are recognized at the school either at honors-day exercises or some other school event.

Tim Mattison '73, YWAA president, and Peter Santhanam '85 Ph.D., YWAA board member, are helping to organize the program in 2020. Other YWAA board members coordinate with participating schools and arrange for presentations of the awards. 

In 2018 and 2019, participating schools included such schools as Alexander Hamilton, Mount Vernon, Dobbs Ferry, Croton-Harmon, the German School, Yonkers Riverside, Woodlands, Scarsdale, Ardsley and other schools throughout Westchester (public and private). 

The program is not associated with Yale admissions. For some students, the award introduces them to Yale, and they may elect to apply on their own.  YWAA's long-time objective has been to recognize exceptional achievement in Westchester schools.

The program is supported by YWAA and alumni donations. For more about the program, go to YWAA Book Award.  Click 2019, 2018 and 2017 to see the lists of winners in recent years.

Alumni who wish to make donations to the program can do so by clicking YWAA Donations.

Yale Book Awards, 2019

Between now and June, YWAA will present Yale Book Awards to over 50 juniors at Westchester high schools. A Westchester annual tradition, the book awards recognize top students at these schools for "outstanding personal character and intellectual promise." 

Over the past several years, the award has been The Yale Book of Quotations, edited by Yale Law School's Fred Shapiro, a tote bag and book plate with the student's name. YWAA board president Tim Mattison '73 administers the program. Other YWAA board members are involved in presenting the book awards at Westchester high schools. 

YWAA board members and other alumni distribute books to the schools. At some schools, Westchester alums will present the awards at an honors assembly and highlight the accomplishments of winners.

Each school selects a Yale Book Award recipient based on criteria provided by YWAA. The program is not associated with Yale admissions, although many recipients in past years choose to apply to Yale and some have attended. For some students, the award introduces them to Yale. YWAA's long-time goal has been to recognize exceptional achievement in Westchester schools.

Participating schools cover the full cross-section of public and private schools in Westchester from Yorktown to Yonkers, from Tarrytown to Port Chester.

The program is supported by YWAA and alumni donations. (For more information and to consider a donation to the program, contact YWAA at YWAA@aya.yale.edu.) For more about the program, go to YWAA Book Award.

Click 2018 to see the list of winners from last year.  Winners in 2018 included honorees from such schools as Alexander Hamilton in Elmsford, Early College High School in Yonkers, the Masters School, and Palisade Prep. Click 2017 to see the list of winners from that year.

Click on the following to read YWAA blog posts about the program in previous years:

2017
2014
2013

Yale Book Awards, 2018

Between now and June, YWAA will present Yale Book Awards to over 50 juniors at Westchester high schools. A Westchester annual tradition, the book awards recognize top students at these schools for "outstanding personal character and intellectual promise." 

Over the past several years, the award has been The Yale Book of Quotations, edited by Yale Law School's Fred Shapiro, a tote bag and book plate with the student's name. YWAA board member Peter Santhanam '85 Ph.D. administers the program.

YWAA board members and other alumni distribute books to the schools. At some schools, Westchester alums will present the awards at an honors assembly and highlight the accomplishments of winners.

Each school selects a Yale Book Award recipient based on criteria provided by YWAA. The program is not associated with Yale admissions, although many recipients in past years choose to apply to Yale and some have attended. For some students, the award introduces them to Yale. YWAA's long-time goal has been to recognize exceptional achievement in Westchester schools.

Participating schools cover the full cross-section of public and private schools in Westchester from Yorktown to Yonkers, from Tarrytown to Port Chester. Lincoln High School in Yonkers, for was a new participant in 2016. 

The program is supported by YWAA and alumni donations.

Click YBA for more about the awards in past years.

Yale Book Awards, 2017

This spring, YWAA will continue a tradition of recognizing top high-school students in Westchester with its annual book awards (YWAA photos).

This year between April and June, YWAA will present Yale Book Awards to 51 juniors at Westchester high schools. A Westchester annual tradition, the book awards recognize top students at these schools for "outstanding personal character and intellectual promise."

Once again, the award this year includes The Yale Book of Quotations, edited by Yale Law School's Fred Shapiro, a tote bag and book plate with the student's name. YWAA board member Peter Santhanam '85 Ph.D. administers the program.  YWAA board members and other alumni distribute books to the schools.  At some schools, Westchester alums will present the awards at an honors assembly and highlight the accomplishments of winners.

Each school selects a Yale Book Award recipient based on criteria provided by YWAA. The program is not associated with Yale admissions, although many recipients in past years choose to apply to Yale and some have attended.  For some students, the award introduces them to Yale. YWAA's long-time goal has been to recognize exceptional achievement in Westchester schools.

Participating schools cover the full cross-section of public and private schools in Westchester from Yorktown to Yonkers, from Tarrytown to Port Chester.  Lincoln High School in Yonkers, for example, will be a new participant in 2016. 

The program is supported by YWAA and alumni donations.

Click YBA for more about the awards in past years.

Yale Book Awards, 2014

The annual presentation of Book Awards is a YWAA tradition and links Yale to the Westchester community. (YWAA photo)

At least 40 students from Westchester have been named winners of YWAA's 2014 Yale Book Award.  Yale alumni in the area made presentations to the students this spring and summer at school assemblies and honors programs.  The awards, administered by Peter Santhanam '85 Ph.d., include a gift, The Yale Book of Quotations, edited by Fred Shapiro of  the Yale Law School.  Winning students are juniors selected by their respective schools on the basis of academic and leadership accomplishments.

Book Awards, a Yale-Westchester tradition, have been given to 130 students the past three years. YWAA guidelines recommend students who exhibit "outstanding personal character and intellectual promise" be considered.  The awards permit Yale alumni to recognize top students throughout Westchester.   As high-achieving students, some students go on to apply to Yale, and a few over the years have attended.  The program is funded by YWAA and by special alumni contributions earmarked for the awards.

Victoria Rainford was the first winner this year at Early College High School, the new magnet school in Yonkers.  White Plains High School in 2014 named two winners, Gabriella Alexandrou and Madeline Beck. Other schools represented include a list from Palisades Preparatory School (also in Yonkers) to Yorktown High School.

Click YBA to see the complete list and to consider making a contribution to the program.

Yale Book Awards, 2014

Yale Book Awards, 2014

Once again, YWAA will preside over the presentation of over 40 Yale Book Awards to top high-school students in Westchester finishing up their junior years.  The awards will be announced and presented this spring. Students will receive a package of gifts, including a copy of the Yale Book of Quotations, edited by Fred Shapiro of the Yale Law School.         

Presenting the Yale Book Awards is a YWAA tradition to recognize Westchester students who exhibit "outstanding personal character and intellectual promise."  Some winners may decide in their senior years to apply to Yale and attend, if admitted. Students are selected by their high schools.  In 2013, 40 students received the award, 50 in 2012. More than 40 schools participate in the program each year, administered by YWAA board member Peter Santhanam  '85 Ph.d.

Awards are often presented at school assemblies or at other programs. More than half of the awards are endowed by Yale alumni. Alumni who may want to support the program can do so by clicking YBA.