Pine Crest School Students to Receive 2024 Pinnacle Awards

Three Pine Crest students will receive 2024 Broward County Non-Public School Association Pinnacle Awards in February. 

Pinnacle Awardees excel in one or more of the following areas: academics, community service, citizenship, fine arts, athletics, student activities, perseverance, effort, dedication, commitment to positive goals, improvement in performance, and attitude. Congratulations to this year’s Pine Crest recipients: Yuval Dobzinski ’31, Nicole Sibileva ’28, and Aden Jamal ’24.

Lower School teachers describe Yuval as an exceptional Pine Crest Panther. He is kind, responsible, and respected by his peers. Yuval is a true role model who his teachers can always count on. He is in student government, plays the trombone, and is an exceptional writer. Yuval enjoys spending his free time with his family. He can consistently be counted on to do the right thing, even when difficult, and is distinguished for his work ethic, perseverance, academic excellence, and positive approach.

Nicole’s Middle School teachers describe her as an incredible student who truly enjoys learning.  She earns top marks in her academic classes; she is an excellent athlete; she radiates a positive attitude; and she grounds herself in a growth mindset. Throughout her years in Middle School, Nicole has proven to be a role model for her peers and a dedicated student who positively impacts the classroom environment. A budding linguist, Nicole is fluent in English and Russian and currently excels in the Middle School Spanish Heritage program. She is also studying French for fun using DuoLingo. Nicole also enjoys Lego, science, and physics and hopes to pursue a career in engineering. Outside of the classroom, Nicole is a multisport athlete for Pine Crest. While in Middle School, she participated in basketball, soccer, softball, and volleyball. Nicole’s coaches speak highly of her skills and leadership. She is always willing to go the extra mile to uplift her teammates.

Aden is an exceptional student and person. He is fascinated with health and science and has worked tirelessly to promote growth and discovery in the field. Last summer, Aden conducted research alongside Dr. Merline Benny and the Department of Pediatrics/Division of Neonatology at the University of Miami. He focused on a particular drug's ability to improve pulmonary development in premature neonates with developing lungs. These babies are often put under high oxygen to ensure they can survive the extreme prematurity. This high-oxygen environment usually causes inflammation and poor lung development. The drug that he investigated appeared to minimize that risk, and there is no telling how many families he helped through his work. His summer research mentor, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Division of Neonatology at the University of Miami’s Jackson Hospital, said, “Aden is among the top 3% of students we have had in the lab. He has truly impressed me and has far exceeded our expectations. Aden Jamal is a class act. Everything that he does is done with grace and integrity.” We could not be more proud of the esteemed student, leader, and role model he has been on our campus, and we know that will continue for many years to come wherever his future endeavors take him.

Congratulations, Yuval, Nicole, and Aden!