Chatham Middle School is proud to announce that it has nominated eighth graders Skylar Blass and Abbott Holsapple for the Siena College Courage Award, which recognizes students who actively promote the ideal of a just and inclusive society that values diversity and uniqueness.
Skylar Blass is a truly courageous young woman who is an unstoppable force in her school and community, despite her ongoing battle with cancer. Not only does she continue to come to school and keep up with her schoolwork throughout her treatments, she has stepped up to serve her school and make it a better place as one of Chatham Middle School’s Key Communicators. She plays volleyball and cheers on all the other girls from the sideline, travels with the basketball team to keep the scorebook, is a member of the school band, is active in 4H and shows her animals at the Columbia County Fair. She is also a horse enthusiast who successfully lobbied state legislators to ban horse slaughter and transportation of horses bound for slaughter in NYS.
Abbott Holsapple is a true upstander who strives to be part of the solution. He is a courageous advocate for his peers, particularly students with special needs. Abbott has volunteered as a Peer Buddy, undertakes community service projects through National Junior Honor Society, and volunteered to train as a National Coalition Building Institute leader who now goes into 6th grade classrooms to lead workshops regarding prejudice, tolerance, and acceptance. Abbott has been courageous in sharing his own experiences with being bullied and how he was able to overcome them.
Abbott and Skylar join other student advocates from around the greater Capital Region in being nominated for this award. A committee of area leaders in social justice issues will review the nominations and select three award recipients this December.