Marblehead High School graduates Tamia Johnson and Cody Selvais are the recipients of this year’s Sterny’s Way Scholarships. The $1,000 scholarships are given annually in memory of David Stern, a Marblehead youth sports coaching legend and supporter of the arts who died in 2009.
Johnson receives arts scholarship
Johnson is the Sterny’s Way Arts Scholarship winner after completing an impressive four years at MHS. She excelled academically, graduating with a 3.31 GPA, while serving as a leader inside and outside the classroom as a three-year class officer and a participant on several sports teams.
She was also involved in many clubs and activities, including the Peer Mentor Program. As a peer mentor, Johnson played an important role in helping freshmen get acclimated academically and socially to high school.
The Boston resident attended Marblehead public schools since the fourth grade through the METCO program.
At MHS, Johnson’s activities and accomplishments were many. She was a committed member of the cheerleading, gymnastics and lacrosse teams, serving as captain of both the cheerleading and gymnastics squads this past school year.
As captain of the fall cheerleading team, Johnson created halftime routines for both the varsity and JV clubs. She led fundraising efforts on the gymnastics team, and also videotaped both the boys and girls lacrosse teams games to help the coaches improve their respective squads performances.
Johnson volunteered at several food shelters and nursing homes, including My Brother’s Table in Lynn, the Lafayette Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Facility in Marblehead, Community Servings in Jamaica Plan and Cradles to Crayons in Quincy. She also worked as a gymnastics instructor and camp counselor at the Marblehead-Swampscott YMCA.
While at MHS, Johnson developed a deep passion for the film industry through her coursework in film and studio production, and film studies.
Johnson will now take her talents to the West Coast this fall, where she will be attending San Diego State University to major in film, new media and television production.
Selvais earns sports scholarship
Selvais, the winner of the Sterny’s Way Sports Scholarship, had a similarly impressive MHS career. As a member of the National Honor Society, Selvais graduated with a 4.1 GPA and earned a spot on the high honor roll every quarter throughout his scholastic career.
He also received the 2022 Principal’s Award, the 2033 Excellence in Mathematics Award and the Margaret Jancsy Award for leadership, while serving as a role model to other students.
Selvais served as a three-year member of the MHS Debate Club and was a two-year member of the Student Council and Marblehead Community Outreach Club.
Like Johnson, Selvais found time to give back to the community as a peer mentor and a member of the Best Buddies program. He founded a mental health support group for fellow students to help those struggling with remote learning and other academic and social challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Selvais was a four-year member of the baseball program, and he also played football and basketball on the JV level. He also volunteered in the town’s youth sports programs, including as a coach of a 12-year-old boys flag football team for four years.
Selvais will attend UMass-Amherst this fall, majoring in marketing.
About Sterny’s Way
Sterny’s Way Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, appreciates the community’s continued support to fund a $1,000 scholarship to a student who has shown dedication to the arts (music, dance, fine arts, etc.), plus a second $1,000 scholarship to a former Marblehead Youth Softball or Marblehead Youth Baseball player.
