Sophomore Ashling Stanek recently earned a first place position in her age range at the 2014 American National Championship for Irish step dancing, which follows several years of national and international recognition for her dancing as well as her fouding of a successful dance camp.

Stanek began dancing at the age of four with ballet, but at age seven, she decided to switch from ballet to Irish step dancing.

Stanek’s great-grandfather, grandmother, mother, and aunt all have competed in the dance and have all received awards for their dedication to the activity.

Stanek’s mother Susan Daly-Stanek, an Irish immigrant, found The Ridgewood Irish Dance Academy in 2003, and in 2009, Stanek and her younger sister Lindsey convinced their mother to create a competitive branch of Ridgewood Irish Dance.

Stanek’s first competition took place in 2009, and since then she had gone on to win several championships.

These include First Place National Champion in 2010 and 2011, Second Place National Champion in 2012, Third Place National Champion, Second Place Mid-Atlantic Champion and the first American to win Gold at the World Championships in 2013 and First Place National Champion, First Place All-Ireland Champion and First Place Mid-Atlantic Champion in 2014.

Stanek’s sister Lindsey (age 16) also took home first place at the American National Championship in her age category.

Stanek is also a principle dancer on the Tony Kenny Christmastime in Ireland Tour, which started this December.

In 2011, as a sophomore in high school, Stanek presented a project idea for her entrepreneurship class, which was a business plan for a sleep away Irish Dance summer camp.

With the support of her family, Stanek and her mother were able to co-found Camp Rince Nua, which was named one of the top 50 businesses by the Irish Echo in 2014.

The fifth session of the camp will take place in 2015.

Each August, the camp is held in the Berkshires, in which Irish dancers from across the globe come for a week of instruction from top Irish dancers, some of whom tour with shows such as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.

In 2012, Stanek was asked to be an Aid to the Grand-Marshal of the Bergen County St. Patrick’s day Parade for her work in promoting Irish culture through dancing, and the foundation of Camp Rince Nua.

Stanek is currently planning for 2015, which marks the fifth season of the summer camp, while also training for upcoming competitions.

While she is at college, her family continues to expand their family business, The JIF Factory, which now had two locations in Ridgewood and Middletown, N.J.

At Saint Anselm College, Stanek studies Politics and Philosophy and is very involved in the community,

In her spare time, she is an active particpant in the Mock Trial Club, and Irish Club / CelticSociety, holds employment in the Office of Admissions and serves as an ambassador for the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.