Jessie Hunt Award

Historical Society Presents 2011 Jessie Hunt Award
for Excellence to Sydney Valenzuela

The Fluvanna County Historical Society has selected Sydney Valenzuela, a Fluvanna County High School senior, to receive the Society’s annual Jessie Hunt Award for Excellence. This award, a $500 scholarship, honors Jessie Hunt, an active member of the Historical Society and well known history teacher for many years in the Fluvanna public schools. The award is presented to a student who plans to continue formal education, has a genuine interest in history and has demonstrated good citizenship.

This year a committee of Fluvanna County High School teachers in the Social Studies Department recommended that Ms. Valenzuela receive the award. Sydney has maintained an outstanding academic record, and won various other awards at the ceremony. Sydney is a member of the National Honors Society and the Beta Club. She loves movies, music, writing and travel, photography and the culinary arts.

Sydney Valenzuela will be attending the University of Southern California, where she will major in Film and Critical Studies in Cinema.

In announcing the award, Judith Mickelson, Executive Director of the Fluvanna Historical Society, stated, “Sydney Valenzuela represents the kind of student Jessie Hunt enjoyed teaching. The Historical Society is very pleased that the Social Studies teachers at the high school have selected a young woman for this award who plans to go on to university and continue her academic studies.

Ms. Mickelson presented the $500 check to Ms. Valenzuela at the high school Senior Awards Ceremony on May 19, 2011.