Poland student praised for his ‘Heart of Gold’ during Herkimer Diamond Mines Camp
Poland Central School District student Ethan Broadbent at the closing ceremony of the Rock and Gem Camp in July at the Herkimer Diamond Mines. Ethan was selected by Poland teachers to receive a scholarship from Herkimer Diamond Mines to attend the camp for free.
POLAND – Poland Central School District student Ethan
Broadbent excelled at the Herkimer Diamond Mines Rock and Gem Camp he attended
in July through a scholarship.
Ethan, who will start seventh grade on Wednesday, Sept. 7,
recently sent an email to Poland Superintendent Laura Dutton, sixth-grade
teacher Teresa Zuchowski and fifth-grade teacher Beth Lepper to share his
appreciation that he was chosen for the scholarship.
“First I want to thank you so much for the opportunity to
attend the Herkimer Diamond Mines Camp this summer. I was thrilled to have
earned the scholarship,” Ethan wrote. “During the week that I attended, I had a
blast!”
Ethan was selected for the scholarship during a Poland end
of the year picnic and award ceremony, said Zuchowski, who was Ethan’s
sixth-grade teacher last school year. The scholarship is awarded each year to
an outstanding science student who goes above and beyond, she said.
Herkimer Diamond Mines provides the scholarship to Poland
Central School District and allows a student to attend the weeklong camp for
free, Zuchowski said.
“I hope the students further their love of and interest in
science and make some new relationships,” she said.
Ethan was a deserving scholarship recipient, Zuchowski said.
“He’s just an all-around great student, enjoys working with
others and really likes science, learning new things and exploring,” she said.
Each day of the camp included time doing education modules
based around science, and Ethan said his favorite modules included “The Water
Cycle” and “Erosion.” The rest of the time was spent mining, sluicing for gold,
doing crafts and participating in athletic activities, he said.
“I had the opportunity to meet lots of different kids, and I
made a lot of new friends,” Ethan wrote.
At the end of every day of camp, each counselor would choose
an attendee for an award. Ethan won two of the awards: a respect award and a
craft award.
Also, during the camp’s closing ceremony involving 108
campers, Ethan received one of only 10 awards given out. He won the Heart of
Gold Award, which is given to a camper who shows an extreme amount of
compassion and love toward others in everything that he does and goes above and
beyond. When the award was announced, Ethan was praised for caring about the
other campers and his counselors, his ability to make others smile with his
sense of humor and his ability to make someone’s day with one simple action.
"I had the absolute best time and I already have plans to attend next year!" Ethan wrote. "Thank you again for the opportunity!"
Poland Central School District student Ethan Broadbent at the closing ceremony of the Rock and Gem Camp in July at the Herkimer Diamond Mines. Ethan was selected by Poland teachers to receive a scholarship from Herkimer Diamond Mines to attend the camp for free.
Poland Central School District student Ethan Broadbent receives the Heart of Gold Award during the closing ceremony of the Rock and Gem Camp in July at the Herkimer Diamond Mines.