As a steady stream of individuals entered from behind a felt curtain to present Elizabeth “Libby” Dobrzynski with multiple scholarships during Sayreville War Memorial High School’s senior awards ceremony, the crowd inside the auditorium began to chuckle.
The sheer volume of honors Libby received, including one as a recipient of the Marisa Tufaro Foundation’s Greater Middlesex Conference Student-Athlete Scholarship, was not lost on those in attendance, who laughed, not at all rudely, but in awe, at the site of Libby trying to juggle her awards.
Each well-deserved honor was a testament to the well-rounded senior’s impeccable character.
Clearly humbled by the magnitude of the awards she received, Libby appeared to blush beneath the spotlight of the high school stage, upon which she had to briefly return when one of the nearly dozen presenters failed to reach her in time to deliver a scholarship.
She exited the stage smiling with appreciation to a memorable round of applause.
With the possible exception of her parents, none in attendance may have been more proud of Libby than her high school coach, Andrew Rice, who watched Libby work tirelessly to recover from spinal fusion surgery to return to captain the swim team, of which she was named Most Valuable Swimmer.
Despite competing with two titanium rods flanking her spine – surgically implanted to correct her scoliosis – Libby earned some of her best times in the pool as a senior.
The previous year, during which Libby was sidelined, she remained a vital member of the team, practicing to the extent that she could and always cheering teammates from the sidelines while helping to manage the squad.
Libby’s personal experience inspired her to become involved with the school district’s New Jersey Special Olympics Unified Sports program and to mentor a 16-year-old girl who is scheduled for the same spinal fusion surgery this summer.
“Elizabeth is an extraordinary young woman,” said Superintendent of Schools Richard Labbe, who is currently serving as the high school’s interim principal.
“Not only is she an exceptional student … she is the epitome of a leader. We will be forever grateful to Elizabeth for all she has done for her classmates, Sayreville War Memorial High School, our district, and the greater community; and we thank her for the impeccable manner in which she has represented each.”
Labbe noted that Libby was selected to participate in the high school’s National Honor Society the past two years, serving as treasurer this academic year. In addition, Libby was treasurer for the Class of 2019, president of the school’s Theater Society, a member of the Peer Leadership Club, vice president of the IT Girls Club and a mentor in Sayreville’s Tomorrow’s Teachers program.
“She’s involved with even more (extracurricular activities) than I even knew about,” Rice said. “That reflects her character and her upbringing. She’s there not only for herself, but to help others. She’s so involved and still able to compete at a high level for us, which shows how much effort she makes and what a great kid she is.”
Rice, however, said he is most impressed with Libby’s resiliency and how quickly she was able to return to competitive swimming after undergoing a major back operation.
“I was very impressed with how fast she healed,” Rice said. “I can only imagine what she was going through. I’m never one to push a kid to do something they can’t do. I always leave it to them to see what their body can handle. It was very hard for her, not only going through with the surgery, but not being in the water and doing the racing (immediately) afterward. She bounced back amazingly. She loves racing. She’s one of those kids who always wants to do their best, whether its winning or dropping time.”
Rice said Libby is a wonderful ambassador of the school, always the first swimmer on the team to befriend the opposition, and that her effervescent personality brightens up the classrooms and hallways.
“She’s super bubbly,” Rice said. “Always smiling, always cracking jokes. She makes coaching fun and she keeps us on her toes, as well. It comes down to the team as a unit. They are always there for each other, win or lose. It doesn’t matter to them. They were there for Libby through her ups and downs. I knew that when she came back (from surgery), she was in great hands with her team.”
In addition to all of her extracurricular involvement, Libby volunteered at a food pantry, community vacation bible school and worked as a classroom aid. She has also been a life guard, swim instructor and swim team coach.
Libby, whose mother is a Media Specialist at the district’s middle school, will attend Catholic University, where she will study Computer Science “and more than likely add to the three National Center of Women in Computer Science Awards that she has earned while here in Sayreville,” Labbe said.
“We know that she will continue to both impress and inspire everyone fortunate enough to work with her,” Labbe said, “especially the staff and students at Catholic University.”