Meriah Tani was promoted to the level of sergeant of the Tango Company, a training company, at New York Military Academy this year. This was Meriah’s second year at the academy, and at the end of this month she will be attending a leadership development school. The school will help her train new cadets coming in for the 2008-2009 school year.

Jessica Stiewing, daughter of James and Deborah Stiewing, received her bachelor of science degree from the University of Connecticut and a master of science degree in speech pathology and audiology at California State University in Ead Bay in June. She is currently an intern at Santa Clara Medical Center in San Jose, Calif., with a concentration in traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, stroke, and larenjectomies.

Peter Dittmar, son of Daniel and Barbara Dittmar of Sandy Hook, recently received a $3,000 scholarship from BIC Corporation. The scholarships are awarded annually to the children of BIC employees and are based on the student’s scholastic achievements. Peter will be attending Saint Joseph’s University, in Philadelphia. BIC Corporation began its scholarship program in 1971 to help employees’ children defray the costs of college and graduate school.

Local middle school students were recognized recently as the state’s top Scholar Leaders at the 2008 Connecticut Association of Schools Scholar Leader Banquet, which was sponsored by the Connecticut and Western Massachusetts McDonald’s Owner/Operator Association. Mary Siroky and Donald Morrissey, students at Newtown Middle School, were awarded the 2008 Scholars Leader Award, which recognizes students for being standouts in their school and community. The Connecticut Scholar Leader Awards is the largest program of its type in the state. The award is presented to one male and one female in each middle school. The award is given to the students for their record of academic achievement and service to the community, personal standards and accomplishments, their ability to be role models for others, for their integrity, self-discipline, honesty, and courage.

Badreddine Ahtchi was awarded a scholarship for academic excellence from the Unilever United States Scholarship Program and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The renewable scholarship provides $2,000 per year for up to four years of college at the undergraduate level for children of Unilever employees in the United States.