Leilah Peralta of Bloomfield, New Jersey graduated from Bloomfield High School on June 18 and was named to the National Honor Society.

Ms Peralta, the daughter of Pedro and Karen Peralta of Bloomfield, and the granddaughter of Patricia Ferguson of Warwick, will attend Fordham University in New York City.

Ms Peralta graduated in the top five percent of her Class and was a violinist in the school orchestra and string ensemble.

She was also a squad leader in the Bloomfield Bengals Marching Band's Colour Guard, performing at football games and marching band competitions in the Northeast US. Her other interests included baton twirling in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Akilah Reid graduated with a diploma in fitness and health promotion from St. Lawrence College, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada with a 3.3 GPA.

Ms Reid received certifications for basic fitness theory, group fitness trainer and swim meet time official.

In September, Ms Reid will be pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in sports management and business at Cape Breton University, Nova Scotia. Her ultimate academic goal is to acquire postgraduate certification in gerontology.

Ms Reid attended Heron Bay Primary, Bermuda High School for Girls and Saltus Grammar School. She volunteered at the Kingston Seniors’ Centre as an assistant instructor for fitness/dance classes to gain experience working with seniors in a recreational setting. She successfully completed two five-week internships in Bermuda at the Department of Youth, Sport & Recreation, and in Kingston at the Providence Care Centre.

Ms Reid was a member of the varsity cross country team, the Vikings, for the 2007 season. In 2008 she was chosen by St. Lawrence College to represent them as their student spokesperson in the Summer 2008 edition of the Bermuda magazine ‘Your Future’. She is the daughter of of Joann and Paul Adams of Southampton and Albert Reid of Somerset.