Created by NCPS Student Intern, Jack Lewis
NEW CANAAN, CT — On June 2, 2025, Amanda Aalto and Vihaan Choksi, two seniors at New Canaan High School (NCHS), were recently awarded by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) with their Student Leadership Award. This award is presented to one male and one female out of 300+ graduating students in the New Canaan High School Class 2025.
Each year, two students are nominated to receive this prestigious award through direct recommendation from their school principal. At NCHS, Principal William Egan nominated this year’s recipients in recognition of their demonstrated leadership capabilities, both inside and outside the classroom, including:
Willingness to take on challenges
Capability to make difficult decisions
Concern for others
Ability to work with others
Willingness to commit to a project
Diplomacy
Ability to understand issues clearly
Ability to honor a commitment
Amanda Aalto is a licensed EMT, stage manager, tutor, and a leader in a variety of extracurricular activities. She has taken on an aptitude for languages and is fluent in Swedish, Finnish, and French. She has earned the Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish and is the co-president of the NCHS Spanish Club. In the theatre department, she has participated in various roles on-stage and worked hands-on in behind-the-scenes roles such as stage manager and assistant director, adding to the music department’s prolific theater program.
Vihaan Choksi is an AP Scholar with Distinction and has published work in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Journal of Future Economists. He has also directed a team-based podcast script for the New York Federal Reserve’s challenge and has secured placement on the SA Fencing All-Academic First Team, recognizing select students for their outstanding academic achievement amid their work as active competitors. Vihaan is the founder and president of Why Money Matters, a charity project that raises funds for Person to Person, a nonprofit that provides families in need with essential programs and resources.
The 2025 CABE Student Leadership Award winners were presented their recognitions by Superintendent Dr. Bryan Luizzi and the New Canaan Board of Education at the June 2nd, 2025 Board of Education meeting. At the event, Dr. Luizzi said, “It became clear that our two award winners best exemplify all that CABE is looking to honor. They’re both truly superb representatives of the New Canaan High School Class of 2025.”
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Left to Right: Vihaan Choksi, BOE Chair, Hugo Alves, NCPS Superintendent, Dr. Bryan Luizzi, Amanda Aalto