Romanian Heritage Awards — 2017 (1st Edition)

The inaugural edition of what would become a decade-long tradition recognizing exceptional Romanian-American youth.

Awards were presented at the prestigious Alianta Gala, in the company of six current and former US Ambassadors to Romania, the Romanian Ambassador to the US, and main event awardees including Lt. General Ben Hodges and Prof. Dennis Deletant.

Award Winners

Participant	School	Award
Silvia Calinov	Nikola Tesla STEM High School, Redmond, WA	Platinum, National
Alexandru Trufinescu	Redmond High School, Redmond, WA	Gold, National
Stefan Ene	Sunset High School, Portland, OR	Silver, National
Andreea Tara Stanescu	Eastlake High School, Sammamish, WA	Gold, West
Jasmine Carabat	Interlake High School, Bellevue, WA	Platinum, West — $1,000 scholarship
Matei Fawzy	Walt Whitman High School, Bethesda, MD	Platinum, East — $500 scholarship
Cami Simpson	Durham Academy, Durham, NC	Platinum, South — $500 scholarship
Sofia Constantinescu	Cheshire High School, Cheshire, CT	Platinum, North East
Diana Sambotin	Skyline High School, Sammamish, WA	Gold, West
Stefan Homentcovschi	Monte Vista High School, Danville, CA	Silver, West

Highlights

Silvia Calinov received the top national prize for her sustained contribution to Romanian community cohesion in the US and three consecutive years of dedicated fundraising and community service in one of the poorest areas of Romania.

Stefan Ene won recognition for his innovative approach to promoting Romanian culture in Sinaia, partnering with a local NGO to conduct research, create content, and promote history, culture, and architecture through urban tours.

Note: Several scholarship recipients declined the monetary award and donated the prize to the following edition of the competition.