Congratulations to Chatham High School’s Sasha Langley, who the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution has named the DAR Good Citizen for the Columbia County area. This award includes a scholarship and recognizes Sasha as a student who embodies the qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism. The DAR presented Sasha with the award at a special reception for the nominees from each school in our area on December 8.
CHS nominates one senior as our DAR Good Citizen each year. Each faculty member is asked to nominate a student and a list of nominees goes before the senior class for a vote. Sasha was the student who received the most votes out of a field of other well-qualified candidates.
“It is such an uplifting experience having been selected,” Sasha said, adding that, “It felt cool that both my teachers and my classmates thought that it was something I was worthy for.”
As a nominee, Sasha had to write an essay, the topic of which was confidential until she sat down to write it within a closely timed 2-hour limit. She also had to provide supporting documentation to the DAR detailing her activities, awards, resume, transcript, and letters of recommendation.
“It was difficult, a little stressful, but overall it’s been a very fulfilling experience,” she said.
Sasha is active in Chatham High School’s Student Government and is our student representative to the Board of Education, president of Yearbook Club, stage manager of the CHS production of Little Shop of Horrors, and a founding member of ASCEND. She is a member of National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, Newspaper Club, and Proud and Empowered Club. Sasha also volunteers as a teacher helper at MED.
She is the recipient of the Clarkson University Leadership Award, a regular on the high honor roll, and has earned student awards (such as Excellence in Effort, Student of the Quarter, and Highest Average) too numerous to list here.
Outside of school, Sasha has done everything from babysitting, lawn care and cleaning, to serving as a junior counselor, soccer coach and Sunday school teacher, to fighting racism and attending the Social Justice Leadership Academy. She plans on studying adolescence education after graduation and wants to become an English as a New Language teacher.
As the winner of our area’s DAR Good Citizen award, Sasha will go on to compete in the regional and perhaps national DAR Good Citizen competition!