MCVSD students are known to work hard and play hard, as principal James Gleason said on the first day of the 2013-14 school year. All five of the career academies are nationally ranked in the top 100 high schools in America, according to Niche, a school information site.

Some MCVSD students play sports for their home schools, but a few go above and beyond in their performances, even getting recognition from colleges.

Senior Jessica Stansfield of Wall received a partial beach volleyball scholarship from  Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz. While Stansfield’s coaches have prepared her for game time, she said CHS has readied her for the schoolwork.

CHS is not the only MCVSD school to host impressive athletes. High Technology High School is home to senior Lauren Sapone of Shrewsbury, another soon-to-be collegiate level athlete. She runs cross country and participates in track and field for her home high school of Red Bank Regional.

Multiple schools, which offered her partial scholarships, recruited Sapone. However, Sapone said she chose her college based on its fit for her and academic caliber, not the one that offered her the most money.  

“Scholarships did not affect my decision because my parents were very adamant that I not let money change my mind if I liked a school,” Sapone said.

Therefore, despite, Duke University’s scholarship offer, she will be attending Dartmouth University, an Ivy League school that is unable to provide sports-related scholarships.

CHS senior Arianna Ferraro of Manalapan will attend the University of Louisville to participate in collegiate-level soccer. Ferraro also attributes her preparedness for college to CHS.

“I think academically CHS has helped me in some ways and also the environment at CHS has been diverse in some of the same aspects that college will be so I won’t have a hard time adjusting to that,” Ferraro said.

Whether these seniors are enrolling in a school across the country or an Ivy League just a few states over, they all show that MCVSD students can work hard, and play hard.