THE BUCKLEY AND VALADE families presented the 4th annual Altruism Scholarships in honor of the late Jay Valade and Paul Buckley to NRHS Class of 2023 recipients Ethan Soroko and Annie Kuperstein. From left: Jared and Leanne Valade, Ethan Soroko, Annie Kuperstein and Tim, Liam, Lisa, Audrey and Sean Buckley. Missing from photo: Emma Valade and Jeremy Buckley. (Courtesy Photo)
NORTH READING — The Buckley and Valade families were very happy to recently meet the NRHS senior recipients of the 2023 Jay Valade and Paul Buckley Scholarship for Altruism, Annie Kuperstein and Ethan Soroko!
Both students received multiple accolades for how they exemplify altruistic characteristics in their everyday lives and are well-deserving of the scholarships named in honor of the late Jay Valade and Paul Buckley.
Annie was passionate about the Unified program at NRHS, which is a program that creates camaraderie with students who have neurological, cognitive and physical disabilities, and she was very active with Special Olympics and bringing its state bocce tournament to North Reading. One faculty member shared that Annie uses her time with the intent of making things better for others. She will attend Middlebury College and will major in psychology.
Ethan spent countless hours every week tutoring other students with homework, test preparation and understanding difficult concepts simply because he wanted to see his peers succeed. Ethan’s efforts not only helped students improve academically but also boosted their confidence and self-esteem.
Ethan volunteers with the TOPSoccer a program for children and adults with special needs. He will attend Boston College and pursue a major in computer science with an eye toward “AI” and making sure it’s morally and ethically sound.
The Buckley and Valade families wish both Annie and Ethan the best as they prepare for college and all their adventures to come!