The 2024 Annual Alumni Banquet will be held June 1, 2024, at the Elks, Webb Brook Rd.
PO Box 8, N. Billerica, Ma 01862
The Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award
About Jack's Award:
Jack Fay was a standout athlete at Howe High School, playing first string on the football, basketball and baseball teams in his sophomore, junior and senior years. He was selected to numerous all-star teams and, on several occasions, selected most valuable player. After graduating in 1953 he enlisted in the Air Force. During tours of duty in Japan and Europe he played on Air Force-wide basketball teams. In 1965, he arranged to be transferred to the US Army and immediately volunteered for duty in Vietnam. While assigned to an Airborne Unit, he was awarded the Bronze Star for conspicuous performance during combat operations. During his 22 years of military service he managed to attain a Baccalaureate in history and a Master’s degree in business administration. In 1974, he retired from the Army and went to work for the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, then to the University of Louisville where he served as Director of the National Crime Prevention Institute, then to corporate-level management with British Petroleum. During the years he spent in the private sector, he authored ten-plus non-fiction books principally dealing in corporate security management. In 1999 he left BP to start up a business of his own. Called Learning Shop USA, the business provides adult education and training courses online.
Selection Criteria for the Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award:
- · Would be a senior; male or female
- · Has been a player on any BMHS team in his/her senior year during all of that year
- · Has demonstrated an above-average athletic skill
- · Has demonstrated an attitude of fair play and sportsmanship
- · The selection be made by a BMHS coach or coaches
Scholarship Awards
Learn more about our Scholarship awards and how to apply for one. You can also sponsor a scholarship, or donate!
HHS BMHS Alumni Life member award
BMHS Alumni Luncheon
Jack Fay, class of 1953 was awarded the HHS- BMHS Alumni Association Life member award. This award will be celebrated on June 4, 2022 at the Billerica memorial high school in conjunction with the inaugural class of 2022 for the Billerica Community Hall of Fame (BCHOF) . We are extremely excited for Jack and his family. Thank you for all you do.
Howe High - Billerica Memorial High Alumni 2023 Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award.
The 6th Annual Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award:
The Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award is in recognition of BMHS Athletes.
The Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award is to recognize a male and female athlete who has played any sport during his/her senior year, demonstrated above average athletic skill, demonstrated an attitude of fair play and sportsmanship, and the selection is made by the co
Jack Fay Athletic Achievement award 2021
2021 Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award
June of 2021, the Jack Fay Award will be granted to a male and female student-athlete from Billerica Memorial High School. The class of 2021 has an abundance of talent three sport athletes but 2 of them have made a tremendous impact to their teammates and coaches alike. This year the 2021 Jack Fay Award is granted to Haley Slaney and Cameron Salter. Both student-athletes have been selected by their teammates as 2 or 3 sports captains of their respected teams and both students received the most nominations by the coaching staff at BMHS. This is a clear tribute to their character and impact they have had to their teams. With that said, today is a day for Cameron to be recognized as a great teammate and athlete. Most importantly, Cam has represented Billerica Memorial High School with the utmost integrity and sportsmanship that a school could expect. At his time Cam would like to continue playing soccer at the collegiate level. Over the past 4 years, Cameron has participated in at least 130 varsity games in soccer and wrestling at BMHS. He has also earned All-Conference Awards from the Merrimack Valley Conference in wrestling. Likewise, Haley Slaney was a three sport captain of the soccer, basketball, and track and field teams. She has been described as a great teammate with a relentless work ethic! She takes great pride in all that she does. Haley has also been recognized as a Merrimack Valley All-Conference athlete in all 3 sports as well as earning the “Master of Sports Award at BMHS. Haley will continue her education and athletics at WPI as a member of the girls’ track & field team. In today’s athletic environment, it difficult to find multi-sport student athletes. It’s with great pleasure to see 2 students such as Cameron and Haley be awarded with the honor of the Jack Fay Award. I would like to end with a few quotes from their coaches; Haley: Above everything, Haley is simply put, a good person. Everything that she does seems to be born out of her genuineness, selflessness, and thoughtfulness. At the same time, Haley doesn't approach anything half-heartedly, whether in the classroom or in athletics she is someone who is incomparable in her effort, attitude, and determination. Her ability to achieve at such a high level in the classroom and in athletics is remarkable. Without praise or attention, Haley relentlessly pursues her goals and meets every challenge and overcomes every adverse situation. To put it into perspective, without hesitation, if I had to point to someone for other students and athletes to emulate it would be Haley. In good times or bad she always remains true to herself and never sacrifices or compromises her values. And, strikingly despite her commitment and drive she never requires anyone to sacrifice anything for her. 27 HOWE HIGH – BILLERICA MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Established 1896 The 4th Annual Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award From the coaches: Haley has been a huge part of the track and field team for the three seasons she has competed. In her sophomore year she finished second at the MVC meet in the 2 mile. It was easy to see her talent on the track but what a lot of people did not see is her leadership off the track. At practice Haley is a major role model to all the younger girls. At a meet during the fall II season, Haley was the only senior in the mile with five underclassmen. The coaching staff did not have to say anything to her as she led the girls through the warm-up and cool-down perfectly. It is Haley's leadership like that which will be missed by the athletes and coaching staff while Haley is competing in track and field at WPI next year. Cameron Cam played Varsity Soccer for three years. As a sophomore, it was clear that he had raw talent and athletic ability. Through hard work and dedication, he was able to hone his natural talent to improve his soccer skill and become an integral part of our Varsity team. Our team will miss his good nature and leadership and we congratulate him and wish him well! It has been a pleasure to see him blossom as a wrestler, student, and character builder for the teams he has been associated with. He is self-aware & confident - He will come and discuss with you issues in a positive manner. Cameron is very helpful - assisting underclassman and always doing what’s best for the team. To me that is true leadership and character!
The Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award 2020
The 3rd Annual Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award
In 2020, the Jack Fay Award will be granted to a male and female student-athlete from Billerica Memorial High School. The class of 2020 has an abundance of talent three sport athletes but 2 of them have made a tremendous impact to their teammates and coaches alike. This year the 2020 Jack Fay Award is granted to Garrett Murphy and Kayleen McCormack. Both student-athletes have been selected by their teammates as 3 sports captains of their respected teams and both students received the most nominations by the coaching staff at BMHS. This is a clear tribute to their character and impact they have had to their teams.
With that said, today is a day for Garrett to be recognized as a great teammate and athlete. Most importantly, Garrett has represented Billerica Memorial High School with the utmost integrity and sportsmanship that a school could expect. Garrett is a true scholar student athlete with a 3.6 GPA and long list of athletic accomplishments. He will attend UMASS-Lowell for his undergraduate degree and be a member of their Division I Lacrosse team.
Over the past 4 years, Garrett has participated in at least 150 varsity games in hockey, lacrosse, and golf which has earned him “The Master of Sports Award” at BMHS. He has also earned All-Conference Awards from the Merrimack Valley Conference in hockey, golf, and lacrosse. As a senior, Garrett has been awarded with the prestigious “Barbara Hood Scholar Athlete Award. I would like to add that he was also a captain of three teams.
Likewise, Kayleen McCormack was a three sport captain of the soccer, basketball, and tennis teams. She has been described as a great teammate with a relentless work ethic! She takes great pride in all that she does. Kayleen has also been recognized as a Merrimack Valley All-Conference athlete in all 3 sports as well as earning the “Master of Sports Award at BMHS. Kayleen will continue her education and athletics at Fitchburg State University as a member of the girls’ soccer team.
In today’s athletic environment, it difficult to find a 3 sport student athlete that has had such a profound impact on all 3 of the teams. It’s with great pleasure to see 2 students such as Garrett and Kayleen be awarded with the honor of the Jack Fay Award.
I would like to end with a few quotes from their coaches;
Kayleen:
Her competitiveness and unselfishness make her the perfect teammate and an incredibly reliable member of a team. Never once, did Kayleen put herself first and she always had the knack of embracing the toughest of situations and pulling all those around her through them.
Kayleen is an exemplary student-athlete who challenges herself every day and motivates those around with her incomparable energy and effort. Her commitment and dedication are second to none and she is never satisfied with what she has achieved, but only interested in how she can improve and help her team.
Garrett
Garrett exhibits the relentless drive and commitment that is necessary to becoming a great student-athlete, a reliable teammate and more importantly a great well-rounded person. He has always applied a hard work-ethic in the classroom, on the ice, playing golf and on the lacrosse fields. All while finding the time to set the example in the weight room and in the community.
In my mind he is a first class kid who embodies the true sense of Billerica P.R.I.D.E!!
The Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award 2019
The 2nd Annual Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award: DJ Fantassia
The Coaches Decision:
It has been our honor at Billerica Memorial High School to have DJ Fantasia as a student athlete over the past 4 years. Although individual awards, such as the Jack Fay Award typically honor one student athlete, it’s important for everyone to know that the most common statements to describe him was “He put the team first” He was selfless! He was known for mentoring the younger players.
With that said, today is a day for DJ to be recognized as a great teammate and athlete. Most importantly, DJ has represented Billerica Memorial High School with the utmost integrity and sportsmanship that a school could expect. DJ is a true scholar student athlete with a 3.82 GPA and long list of athletic accomplishments. He will attend Bentley University for his undergraduate degree.
Over the past 4 years, DJ has participated in at least 150 varsity games in hockey, baseball, and golf which has earned him “The Master of Sports Award” at BMHS. He has also earned All-Conference Awards from the Merrimack Valley Conference in hockey and golf. As a senior, DJ has been awarded with the prestigious “Barbara Hood Scholar Athlete Award”. In today’s athletic environment, it difficult to find a 3 sport student athlete that has had such a profound impact on all 3 of the teams. I would like to add that he was also a captain of the hockey and golf teams. To put his final touch on BMHS, DJ and a group of seniors started the team up for a cause campaign which utilized teams and sporting events to team up and raise money for non-profit organizations. DJ and his classmates have raised over $30,000 this past school year! Just remarkable!
I would like to end with a few quotes from his coaches;
It has been a pleasure to see him blossom as a player, student, and character builder for the teams he has been associated with.
DJ’s strongest attribute is that he always told me like it was, even if he knew I wouldn’t like the answer. To me that is true leadership and character!
He is self-aware & confident - He will come and discuss with you issues in a positive manner.
Dan is very helpful - assisting underclassman and always doing what’s best for the team
Jack Fay and DJ Fantassia
The Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award 2018
First Annual Jack Fay Athletic Achievement Award: Jenna Balboni
The Coaches Decision:
It has been our honor at Billerica Memorial High School to have Jenna Balboni as a student athlete over the past 4 years. Although individual awards, such as the Jack Fay Award typically honor one student athlete, it’s important for everyone to know that the most common “characteristic” that the coaches used to describe Jenna was “A Great Teammate” She put the team first! She is known for sacrificing her body to the extreme with a phenomenal work ethic even if a possible injury was the end result. She wanted the team to excel and was willing to give the team 100% of herself. With that said, today is a day for Jenna to be recognized as a great teammate, player on the field and court, and most importantly as a student of Billerica Memorial High School. Jenna is a true scholar student athlete with a 3.3 GPA and long list of athletic accomplishments.
Over the past 4 years, Jenna has participated in at least 148 varsity games in Soccer, Basketball, and Lacrosse which has earned her “The Master of Sports Award” at BMHS. She has also earned All-Conference Awards from the Merrimack Valley Conference in Basketball and Lacrosse. As a senior, Jenna has been awarded with the prestigious Barbara Hood Scholar Athlete Award. In today’s athletic environment, it difficult to find a 3 sport student athlete that has had such a profound impact on all 3 of the teams. I would like to add that she was also a captain of the soccer, basketball, and lacrosse teams. Although she is a well-rounded athlete, Jenna has excelled in lacrosse scoring more than 200 points over the past 4 years and earning a Scholarship to Saint Anselm College where she will continue to play collegiate lacrosse.
I would like to end with a few quotes from her coaches.
Great teammate, constant competitor, most importantly a great kid who exemplified what you would want your program to be about.
Jenna has overcome several injuries over the past several season’s and was determined to support her teammates and played through the pain. Most players would have sat out with type of injuries that Jenna had, but she played through them especially when the team was not winning.
I wish all my players had Jenna’s confidence and determination.
Jack Fay and Jenna Balboni