Nominations being accepted for Oakmont Outstanding Alumni Award
ASHBURNHAM — Oakmont Regional High School is accepting nominations for the next round of recipients of the Oakmont Outstanding Alumni Award.
The purpose of the award is to recognize the contributions and achievements of graduates of Oakmont. The award was established in 2015, and in the fall of 2016 the inaugural induction ceremony was held recognizing the following outstanding alumni.
* Alvin Laasanen, Ph.D., from the Class of 1962 whose work in physics contributed to the discovery of the Higgs boson (the “god” particle).
* Peter Janhunen from the Class of 1965 was a highly successful sales representative as well as a community leader for many local organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, as well as serving on several school committees.
* David Landry of the Class of 1973 was a Coast Guard captain as well as working in high-level leadership and management positions in several high-profile organizations, and serving the community by advocating for school funding.
* Donna Beer Stolz, Ph.D., of the Class of 1977 went on to become a research professor at RPI and also the program director at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Biologic Imaging.
* Deborah Wellner Heinrich, Ph.D., of the Class of 1987 went on to become an assistant professor of biology as well as establishing her own business. She was also elected to the Connecticut state legislature in 2004, serving until 2011. She is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions.
The selection criteria is as follows:
* The nominee received a diploma from Oakmont Regional High School.
* The nominee graduated from Oakmont a minimum of 10 years prior to nomination.
* The nominee has demonstrated outstanding performance or accomplishment in their chosen career or field of endeavor.
* The nominee has documented an outstanding level of service to their profession or the community at large.
* The nominee has demonstrated outstanding performance, character and leadership as recognized by their peers.
* The nominee has consistently demonstrated the highest moral and ethical standards.
Nomination forms should be sent to Oakmont Regional High School, c/o the principal’s office. Nominations will be open to all, including self-nomination, and will be screened by the Oakmont Outstanding Alumni Selection Committee, which is composed of past or present Oakmont administrators, past or present Oakmont staff members, and Oakmont alumni. Awards will be presented in Oakmont Alumni Auditorium at an awards night and an individual plaque for each recipient will also be displayed in the main lobby at Oakmont. An event is being planned for June to induct the next round of recipients as well as to unveil the plaques and wall where they will be displayed.
Nomination forms are available at https://oak.awrsd.org under “Alumni Resources” or at the main office at Oakmont Regional High School, 9 Oakmont Drive, Ashburnham, MA 01430.
The deadline for this round of nominations is Feb. 20, 2022.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Nominations are being accepted for Oakmont Outstanding Alumni Award
