Yorktown Leo Club Sends off Old Members and Welcomes New Ones, Gives Out Awards

After handing out a record number of donations in her year as president, Ali Fein and the rest of the outgoing seniors are leaving behind some big shoes to fill. The Yorktown Leo Club took its first step toward doing just that on Tuesday night at their 15th Annual Installation Ceremony.

Past and present and members came out to the to bid farewell to the exiting members and to usher in some new ones. Incoming President Meghan McGowan said she knows she has a big task ahead of her, but believes she was couldn’t have had better mentors. 

“[Ali] has given me so much advice that I can't even possibly thank her enough,” McGowan said. “All of them have done an amazing job this year. Every event was so much fun and they really helped to bring the club closer together, so hopefully we can follow in their footsteps.”

Besides naming a new president, the club also replaced all the other positions vacated by graduating seniors; which, coincidentally, was the entire cabinet this year.

Leaving the Leos are: President Ali Fein, who is headed to the University of New Hampshire; Vice Presidents Emily Collins (Colorado State), Jackie Bucci (College of Charleston) and Taylor Tuccito (James Madison University); Secretary Greg Toy (Cornell) and Treasurer Leo Guttman (Harvard). (See the full list of replacements below). 

The club welcomed two new members in Emily Arietta and Rosanna Treanor and also handed out two awards. The recipient of the Leo of the Year Award, selected by the president, was the club’s youngest member, Cullen Malzo. The seventh-grader set a record when he became the youngest member to be selected to the Board of Directors.

The next award was handed out to Relay for Life’s Co-Chairperson, Jane McCarthy who was named the Leo Citizen of the Year. The yearly award is handed by the club members to an individual they want to emulate because of his or her work in the community.

“You have no idea what this means for me,” McCarthy said. “The fact that you have recognized me tonight is so touching and so beautiful, and I thank you all.”

While Fein enjoyed her time as president, she jokingly said is not envious of McGowan’s position next year. “I must get an email from (Club Advisor Al Avitabile) every day, maybe every hour, actually,” said Fein. “And luckily for Meghan, he got a new iPhone."

INCOMING CABINET President Meghan McGowan Vice President Kristen Burke Vice President Mitchell Anderson Vice President Colleen Riordan Secretary Erin Maurno Treasurer Aatish Bathija Webmaster Roger Iyengar Webmaster Kyle Guttmann Director of Public Relations Jackson Pope INCOMING BOARD OF DIRECTORS Cullen Malzo Spencer Cohen Erin McGuinness Meghan McGuinness AWARDS Leo Citizen of the Year Jane McCarthy Leo of the Year Cullen Malzo