Times Herald-Record Student of the Week: See the nominations and vote

The nominations for the latest Times Record-Herald Student of the Week are in, and you can now vote for the week's top student.

Voting is open until noon, Thursday, April 18 on our website.

We will announce the winner at recordonline.com on Friday, April 19. Our next poll will publish on Monday, April 22 with a new list of nominees.

Local school administrators nominated students who have shown outstanding academic and school achievement and provide the details on their accomplishments below.

To cast a vote, visit the poll at the bottom of this nominees list. If you don't see the poll, please refresh this page.

And the nominees for the Times Herald-Record Student of the Week are …

Sean Essoka, Tuxedo Union Free School District: Sean “is affable, caring and has an adult situational awareness - knowing when to be lighthearted and when to take things seriously,” says George F. Baker High School social studies teacher Ryan Fitzsimmons.

Sean recently enjoyed a weeklong trip with the New York Chapter of the National Black MBA Association’s Leaders of Tomorrow Program. He was one of 80 students on the Eta Theta Lambda Chapter College Tour, sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The tour included visits to 13 historically Black colleges and universities. Potential applicants gained a better understanding of the rich traditions and heritages, which will help inform their post-secondary decisions.

The activity not only provided an opportunity to visit different schools to explore different careers, but also gave Sean a chance to meet fellow students with similar interests and backgrounds. Despite being the only teenager from the Hudson Valley, he was not nervous. “I really enjoyed meeting all of the new people and making connections,'' explained Sean, who plans on studying sound recording technology. “It was really fun for all of us to talk about dropping beats.”

Sean’s talents extend beyond academics to include both musical and athletic abilities. When he is not finessing a bass drop, Sean can be found on the baseline with the Tuxedo Tornadoes Varsity Basketball team.

Yacine Niasse, Port Jervis High School: Throughout her four years attending Port Jervis High School, Yacine Niasse has been an actively involved student-athlete. Yacine will be graduating at the top of her class.

As a senior, she is enrolled in seven dual enrollment college courses, and will be earning the Regents Advanced diploma. Yacine has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognition, specifically, a three-time recipient of the Sojourner Truth Award. Yacine was a member of the PJHS Varsity Women's Soccer Team for four years, and the Varsity Soccer Team for two years.

She is also involved in many extracurricular activities and clubs, including the National Honor Society, the French Honor Society, Athletes Helping Athletes, PJHS Equals Movement, and Mock Trial, to name a few. Yacine is very visible on campus and in the community as a volunteer for a variety of events and programs including assisting as a student leader for Open House Night, Freshmen Orientation, and HBE Leadership Day; and as a participant in the Honor Flights, Color Run, and Delaware River Run.

Yacine plans to continue her studies in college as a business major. We are confident she will be a contributing member of that new learning community as she has been in ours at Port Jervis!

Nick Bender, Tri-Valley: Tri-Valley would like to nominate Nick Bender for student of the week.

Nick is a junior who is currently top five in his class maintaining a GPA above a 95.

Nick is described by his teachers as responsible, diligent, and reliable. He is known for having a positive attitude and always helping those around him.

Nick constantly goes above and beyond both in school and in the community. He hopes to one day attend the U.S. Air Force Academy and study engineering.

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Times Herald-Record Student of the Week: See the nominations and vote