Adam Wien of Stanhope wins Superintendents’ Student Roundtable Award

The Stanhope School District has proudly announced that Adam Wien won the 2021 Sussex County Superintendents’ Student Roundtable Award.

Traditionally, winners from each school district in the county are hosted at a luncheon in April given by the Sussex County Superintendents’ Roundtable Association. However, because of capacity restrictions resulting from the pandemic, the annual luncheon will not take place. Instead, Superintendent Steve Hagemann invited Adam to join him and Principal Alicia Finklea-DiCataldo for a socially distanced Chinese take-out lunch at the school.

When Adam arrived at Mr. Hagemann’s office for lunch, he remarked how “heartwarming” it was that he had been invited, and how he had not expected to be the winner.

“Adam is not a typical Roundtable Award Winner, as success in school has not always come easy for him,” said Hagemann. “His story is about more than achieving success in the culminating year of middle school. Rather, his is a story of perseverance.”

Adam’s drive, along with the support of his teachers and loved ones, is the reason he was chosen for this award. Aside from his current academic success in eighth grade, Adam is a great friend to others and enjoys participating in activities in our school and in the Stanhope community. He has participated in the Ski Club and Coding Club, and he’s volunteered his time on Trash Pickup Day, at community church events, at various food drives, and simply by helping his neighbors shovel their driveways. Adam has also achieved the rank of Tenderfoot in the Boy Scouts and plans to work towards the rank of Eagle Scout.

Adam compares his time at the Valley Road School to climbing a mountain, and states that his education wasn’t about a destination, but rather the journey.

Adam is an excellent choice to represent our school, and we couldn’t be more proud of him,” Hagemann said.