WARWICK — Hunter Robbins, of East Providence and a senior, has been named as the recipient of the 2023 Bishop Hendricken High School Principal’s Leadership Award.

Inspired by school’s core values, the award is presented to a graduating senior who is dedicated to servant leadership throughout his career at Hendricken. The recipient is an individual who "lives out Christ’s message, and the mission of the Church, by doing for others. More specifically, this includes service to the poor, marginalized, voiceless, and those facing injustice."

In the classroom, Robbins is a straight-A, Ivy League-bound student. Currently ranked second in the Class of 2023 with a perfect 4.0 GPA, Robbins will attend Yale University in the fall on a full scholarship. He earned admission to Yale through the Restricted Early Action program as part of the lowest early acceptance rate in 20 years, according to the Yale Daily News. He was also accepted to Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Brown University.

Robbins is also a talented trumpet player, member of the Arts Academy’s Band concentration, Hawks for Her, Academic Decathlon, and Ambassadors Club.

“Hunter exemplifies our core value of servant leadership and faithful service to others in the name of Christ,” said Mark DeCiccio, a 2003 Hendricken alum now the school principal. “Through his involvement with The Brotherhood [previously called Born to Stand Out], Youth Force, Hawks for Her, and Peer Ministry, he beautifully endeavors to live out Christ’s message of ensuring that everyone is seen, heard, known, and loved.”

A model school citizen, Robbins was described by a faculty member as a young man who “has frequently shown empathy for all of his classmates.”

During his time at Hendricken, Robbins has served as President of The Brotherhood, Bishop Hendricken’s affinity group for young men of color. Under his tenure, Robbins worked with the School Leadership Team to strengthen bullying protocols and increased student access to reporting.

As President of Youth Force, a student organization dedicated to traffic safety and safe decision-making skills, Robbins was integral in programming that honored the late Officer Ryan Bourque ’09, supported Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and more.

Robbins was recognized for his leadership at the state level during his junior year when he was awarded the 2022 Rhode Island Civic Leadership Award by Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea. In 2021, Robbins won the Write Rhode Island Short Story Competition for his story, “The Boy and the Hidden Truth.”