Fuentes, Segarra, Novak selected youth, adult, senior volunteers

Each year, the Florida Department of Education sponsors the statewide Outstanding School Volunteer Award competition to recognize the many school volunteers who give of themselves unselfishly to help students and schools. This year, Osceola schools recognized 49 volunteers for the honor at the school level, significantly more than in the past years:
Bellalago Academy: Tracy Diaz (adult) and Sonia Tristani (senior)
Boggy Creek Elementary: Larry Eason (senior)
Celebration High: Sherry Fortin (adult)
Celebration K-8: Leah Cariusa (adult)
Central Avenue Elementary: Betty Segarra (adult)
Cypress Elementary: Adeline Vega (adult)
Discovery Intermediate: Jennifer Crookendale (adult) and Brittnie Guerrier (student)
East Lake Elementary: Jamie Marvin (adult)
Harmony High: Eddie Specht (adult) and Dana Marie Fletcher (student)
Hickory Tree Elementary: James Myers (senior)
Highlands Elementary: Jennie Gil (adult)
Horizon Middle: Kimberly Rosati (adult) and Zoe Greenwood (sudent)
Kissimmee Middle: Lisbel Rios (adult)
Lakeview Elementary: Glenda White (senior)
Liberty High: Maryann Burgos (adult) and Kori Rolon (student)
Michigan Avenue Elementary: Sean McKay (adult)
Mill Creek Elementary: Brenda Coutu (adult) and Paula Szuch (senior)
Narcoossee Elementary: Sabine Chipman (adult) and Anne Hatfield (senior)
Narcoossee Middle: Elnora Matura (adult)
Neptune Elementary: Teri Hindle (adult)
Neptune Middle: Richard Colon (adult)
The Osceola County School for the Arts: Patricia Baron-Martinez (adult) and Jill Resch (student)
Osceola High: Michele Preisser (adult) and Osmar Manuel Fuentes (student)
Parkway Middle: Amarilys Olivo (adult) and Nicole Vazquez (student)
Partin Settlement Elementary: Elizabeth Doerr (adult)
Pleasant Hill Elementary: Anita Roberts (adult)
P.M. Wells Charter: Yaritza Todd (adult)
Poinciana High: John Kikta (adult), Art Maynard (senior), and Nicole Boross (student)
Reedy Creek Elementary: June Novak (senior) and Emma Leonard (student)
St. Cloud Elementary: Traci Reno (adult)
St. Cloud High: Carmen Orozco (adult)
St. Cloud Middle: Tammy Burwell (adult)
Sunrise Elementary: Andrea Nickel (adult)
Thacker Avenue Elementary: Tod Orazi (adult)
Ventura Elementary: Tanuia Cruz (adult)
Westside K-8: Marci Pais (adult)
District officials said there were so many good nominees; the judges had a hard time selecting the top three winners to represent the district at the state level. In the end, after a very difficult voting process, the panel elected Osmar Fuentes, Betty Segarra and June Novak as this school year’s Youth, Adult, and Senior Volunteers of the Year, respectively.
Osmar Fuentes,
Osceola High School - District Youth Volunteer of the Year
Fuentes’ record shows a dedicated commitment to volunteer service to Osceola High School as well as to the community, with an accumulation of more than 400 hours of volunteer service and leadership.  In addition to his volunteer service, he has maintained a 4.0 GPA and is earning his AA degree.
Betty Segarra,
Central Avenue Elementary - District Adult
Volunteer of the Year
Segarra is an integral part of the daily life at Central Avenue Elementary School. In the past three school years, she has given over 1100 hours, and this school year she has already donated over 400 hours. Segarra arrives at school at 7:30 a.m. each morning, greeting parents and students, and automatically gets involved wherever she is needed.  She has been a clerical, media, cafeteria, and PBS store assistant and helped with the school’s Picture Days, Book Fairs and Field Days. Segarra is a perfect example of parent involvement, dedication, and commitment.
June Novak, Reedy Creek Elementary -
District Senior Volunteer of the Year
Novak has been a valuable volunteer at Reedy Creek Elementary School since 1996. She has been involved as a member and officer in the PTO, she has arranged numerous fundraisers generating up to $12,000 annually, and she makes it possible for the school’s media center to remain open during the summer months allowing students to have continued access to books and to take Accelerated Reader tests.  Mrs. Novak has been able to do all of this while raising her three children and three grandchildren and dealing with serious health issues.
These three volunteers will be recognized for their outstanding service in front of the Osceola County School Board April 19, 2011, in honor of National Volunteer Week.