2007 Scholarship Winners:
Stephanie Jacobs (saxophone, Northern Highlands H.S.)
Joseph Sapuppo (trumpet, Pascack Hills H.S.)
Also shown above: Conductor Edmund A. Moderacki, left, and Band President Lewis Archer
Stephanie Jacobs, a saxophonist and a senior at Northern Highlands High School, has played with the Waldwick Band since she was in the 8th grade. Stephanie will be a saxophone performance and psychology double major at Northwestern University in Chicago in September. Stephanie is vice president of the National Honor Society at Northern Highlands; has been on the honor roll for 4 years; and has been a member of the marching band, jazz band, concert choir, and wind ensemble. Since her freshman year, she has also been a member of the Bergen County Symphonic Band and the New Jersey Region 1 Symphonic Band. This year Stephanie placed second in the New Jersey All State Band auditions, was Drum Major at Northern Highlands, and won the Ridgewood Concert Band's 2007 Concerto Competition — she was a featured soloist at the RCB concert on May 18. Theodora Sotiropolis, Band Director at Northern Highlands H.S., describes Stephanie as "talented, driven, intelligent, sweet, honest, a leader, helpful and diligent ... She is extremely musical ... a great role model and leader among her peers." Stephanie has been all of that in the Waldwick Band.
Joseph Sapuppo is a senior at Pascack Hills High School who has been a member of the Waldwick Band's trumpet section since October, 2004. In the fall, Joe will start his college career at the SUNY Maritime College in Throgs Neck, N.Y., where he will study to become a Merchant Marine officer. At Pascack Hills, Joe has been a valued member of the music program, including the marching band, jazz band, pit orchestra, and first chair trumpet in the concert band. Earlier this year, Joe worked for Habitat for Humanity and helped to build a home for a family in Louisiana that lost their home in Hurricane Katrina. Joe's high school band director, Christian Wilhjelm, writes, "Joe is a hard worker and a very nice young man ... (and will) represent the Waldwick Band, Pascack Hills High School, and his community well ...(He plays the trumpet) with a beautiful tone and a good high register." Since joining the Waldwick Band, Joe has played in nearly all regular-season concerts, parades, Teutonic Knights appearances and summer concerts, and has outstanding attendance at rehearsals as well. Joe's father, Angelo Sapuppo, also plays trumpet for the Waldwick Band.— Lew Archer, April 28, 2007