Schools

Montclair NAACP to Honor Student Scholars

Two Montclair High School students will be saluted.

Two Montclair High School seniors will be honored by the Montclair Branch of the NAACP Friday at the Wilshire Grand in West Orange.

Tiana Watson was taught that focus and hard work are the most critical elements to success and she attributes her passion to learning to her grandmother, Audrey M. Watson, according to the NAACP.

Tiana has been an honor roll student since first grade and today takes mostly honors classes at Montclair High School, where she is a member of the Spanish Honor Society and the Breast Cancer Awareness Club, as well as a basketball cheerleader.

Find out what's happening in Montclairwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Her interests include marine biology, veterinary medicine, and forensic science. She has not decided on a college yet, but plans to visit Columbia University and the University of North Carolina.

The NAACP will also honor Rodney Akee Gaines, a member of both the National Honor Society and the National Society of High School Scholars at MHS.

Find out what's happening in Montclairwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I have never gotten straight A’s,” said Gaines, who has a 4.05 GPA. 

In addition to excelling in academics, the triplet has also trained in five different martial arts. After college, Rodney is considering careers in aviation or working as a professional stunt person.

“It is extremely important to salute those students who have worked hard to secure a bright and successful future,” said Tom Reynolds, President of the Montclair NAACP. “We believe that education is the key to success and the NAACP is committed to keeping its focus on academic achievement to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to excel.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here