Huntington Union Free School District

Talented Seniors Share National School Development Awards...

Emely Herrera Rivas and Caleb Palermo are two of the most impressive members of Huntington High School’s Class of 2026. The exceptional pair has been named this year’s recipients of the National School Development Council Awards.

Admired by classmates and teachers alike, the pair will be sorely missed next year when each begins the pursuit of a new set of goals at their respective colleges.

Huntington Superintendent Beth McCoy and Assistant Superintendent Brenden Cusack presented the teenagers with this year’s awards during the high school’s senior scholarship awards ceremony in the high school auditorium.

“The National School Development Council allows us to offer two awards recognizing students who have demonstrated exceptional academic growth and student leadership in learning,” Ms. McCoy said. “These two individuals have put their respective best feet forward in the classroom and have also immersed themselves in school life throughout their educational careers in Huntington.”

Ms. McCoy and Mr. Cusack presented Ms. Herrera Rivas and Mr. Palermo with certificates and gift cards.

Read more at www.hufsd.edu

Smith & Gerberg Capture Courtney O’Bryan Scholarships...

Courtney O’Bryan was a charismatic young woman with a magnetic personality. Super smart, energetic and loyal, she was a kind and considerate friend to so many. She was loved by everyone that knew her.

The 2011 Huntington High School graduate will always be remembered at her alma mater, where her contagious smile and happy personality made a lasting impression.

A starter on the Blue Devil varsity girls’ soccer and basketball teams, Ms. O’Bryan employed a take-no-prisoners tyle of play. Devoted to her studies, she was admired and respected by the high school’s faculty. Her intellect, engaging personality and easygoing nature along with an sometimes hilarious sense of humor came together to win over classmates, coaches and teachers.

Ms. O’Bryan, who moved to Huntington from Lynbrook as a fifth grader, graduated near the top of her class and enrolled in Penn State University, where she embraced campus life, participating in the school’s IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, better known as THON, which raises funds to battle pediatric cancer.

The largest student-run philanthropy in the world, THON has raised more than $272 million since 1977 for The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. A large percentage of the monies have been collected during so-called “canning” weekends, which see Penn State students fanning out into other cities and states to solicit donations for the THON initiative.

After visiting her family in Huntington for Thanksgiving and stopping at the Huntington High School gym to shoot baskets with her former teammates and coaches, Ms. O’Bryan returned to the Penn State campus for a week of classes.

On Friday, December 2, 2011, the Blue Devil alum was a passenger in a car on its way to Buffalo for a canning weekend to raise money for THON and pediatric cancer research. At about 8:30 p.m. the car reportedly hit an icy patch of roadway in Lewis Run in northern Pennsylvania, careening out of control, flipping over, sliding down a highway embankment and crashing into a tree.

Ms. O’Bryan, who was riding in the backseat of the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder, was fatally injured and four other students in the car were hospitalized. The accident occurred on State Road 219, about one mile south of State Route 59 according to the Pennsylvania State Police.

The news hit Huntington like a gut punch. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Ms. O’Bryan’s family created a scholarship to perpetuate her memory and promote the qualities she so spectacularly displayed.

The Courtney O’Bryan Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to senior male and female athletes who are college bound and who participated in more than one team sport “exemplifying character, leadership, strong school spirit and sportsmanship.”

Two Seniors Capture Scholarships

This year, graduating seniors Cameron Smith and Henry Gerberg were chosen by Ms. O’Bryan’s parents, Bill and Lisa and family members as the recipients of twin $1,000 scholarship awards along with attractive plaques.

Mr. O’Bryan was on hand at the 58th Blue Devil senior athletic awards ceremony in the high school auditorium to announce Ms. Smith and Mr. Gerberg as this year’s scholarship winners.

Both of the teenagers were named Distinguished Seniors after compiling academic grade averages in excess of 90 during every semester of high school.

Huntington coaches submitted about two dozen separate nominations for this year’s scholarships. The award is annually held in high esteem.

Read more at www.hufsd.edu

Angelina Hernandez Claims Provenzano Scholarship...

Huntington Class of 2026 member Angelina Hernandez has captured the Carmela Santorsola Provenzano scholarship, which carries a stipend of $1,000.

The scholarship is presented in honor and memory of a woman who because of the expectations and constraints of the era in which she was raised didn’t have an opportunity to attend college.

The Carmela Santorsola Provenzano scholarship was endowed by her children and grandchildren in honor of her 90th birthday. Her dream was to become a teacher, but due to economic circumstances her education ceased following the eighth grade. “Her love for education was passed on to her children, one of whom worked as a counselor in Huntington UFSD for many years,” said school counselor Diana Bonilla, who announced this year’s scholarship recipient.

“The key to my success has been staying disciplined, setting high standards for myself, and surrounding myself with people that push me to do my best,” Ms. Hernandez said. “Some things I’ve enjoyed the most throughout high school are the friendships I have made, fun classes, pep band, memorable teachers, homecoming and prom. Some highlights of my extracurricular involvement include being a member of the Spanish, Math and National Honor Societies, earning AP Scholar with Honor and maintaining high honor roll every quarter while working two jobs.”

Named a Distinguished Senior this spring, Ms. Hernandez has earned a 90 or better academic grade average during every semester of high school. She intends to study applied math and statistics at Stony Brook University.

Naomi Lyons Captures Quentin Sammis Award...

Naomi Lyons is an exceptional young woman. She plans to study biology on a pre-med track in the STEM Scholar program at the University of Vermont. The senior’s time at Huntington High School has seen her develop many productive relationships and realize many accomplishments along the way.

The Kiwanis Club of Huntington is so impressed with Ms. Lyons that the organization presented her with its prestigious Quentin Sammis Memorial Award in recognition of her work as president of Huntington’s Key Club chapter and her potential to spur positive change in the world around her.

The Quentin Sammis Memorial Award is given to individuals who show “great passion” for service to their school and community, according to Huntington school counselor Diana Bonilla, who presented the scholarship on behalf of the Kiwanis Club during Huntington High School’s senior scholarship awards ceremony.

Ms. Lyons was recognized with a special certificate along with a check for $1,500, which represents the stipend that comes with the Quentin Sammis Memorial Award.

“The key to my success has been focusing on learning concepts to build foundations, not just to get a grade on a test, prioritizing my happiness by surrounding myself with genuine people, and trying new things that have exposed me to new ideas,” Ms. Lyons said. “Things I’ve enjoyed the most throughout high school are the variety of clubs/sports, the teachers, my friends, the diverse student body, and all of the opportunities Huntington High School provides.”

High school highlights include serving as president of Huntington’s Key Club chapter, earning honors in multiple years of National History Day contests, playing on the varsity tennis team and tallying a 99 on Level 6 at NYSSMA for piano. She has even spent time teaching young kids how to play piano.

Read more at www.hufsd.edu

Frank Algieri Captures Justin Giani Memorial Scholarship...

Gifted in the classroom and on the athletic field, Frank Algieri overcame numerous injuries both large and small and was still able to make significant contributions to the Blue Devil football and lacrosse teams and excel in his studies.

Mr. Algieri is this year’s recipient of the Justin Louis Giani Memorial Scholarship. The award carries a stipend of $4,000, allotted in annual amounts of $1,000 for each of four years of college.

The scholarship was announced by Associated Teachers of Huntington President James Graber and presented to Mr. Cuozzo on behalf of Mr. Giani’s parents, Linda and Joseph. The award honors a wonderful young man who will never be forgotten for his sunny disposition and genial good nature, devotion to family and friends and love of competition.

The Justin Louis Giani Memorial Scholarship has become one of the most cherished and meaningful awards presented annually at Huntington High School.

“The key to my success has been staying disciplined, working hard even when things get difficult, and always trying to improve,” Mr. Algieri said. “I’ve really enjoyed forming great friendships, learning valuable lessons, and being a part of sports teams that felt like family. I’ve enjoyed my commitment to athletics, leadership and discipline I developed through teamwork. The memories will stay with me for a lifetime.

Mr. Algieri intends to study finance at Coastal Carolina University and play lacrosse. He garnered All-Division honors in football and was honorable mention All-County in lacrosse. He captain both Blue Devil teams.

An outstanding student, Mr. Giani compiled a 95 academic grade average, graduating near the top of Huntington’s Class of 2007. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Drexel University in Philadelphia where he majored in finance and competed on the NCAA Division I wrestling team.

Read more at www.hufsd.edu

Blue Devil Discipline, Desire & Dedication Awards Presented...

Principal Rochelle C. Brown presented the Blue Devil Discipline, Desire and Dedication Awards at Huntington High School’s 58th annual senior athletic awards ceremony on Thursday night in the auditorium.

The seven recipients who received the award “all played important roles on their teams,” master of ceremonies Michael Schwendemann told the crowd. “This award goes to those who didn’t get their names in the headlines, but without them, their teams wouldn’t have been successful.”

This year’s award recipients include: Sage Cicciari (Penn State University), Ryan DiVico Binghamton University), Jamyn Husselbeck (University at Buffalo), Mia Johnson (University of South Carolina – Columbia), Grace Oliva (Wake Forest University), Dana Saramago (LIU Post) and Luca Terrado (University of Massachusetts – Boston).

“It’s not only what happens on game day, but the interactions with coaches and teammates and practices and away from the field,” Mr. Schwendemann told the crowd. “All seven of these seniors contributed in their own special way. Maybe they thought no one was watching or no one cared. But we did see them and we admire everything they did to make our teams successful. Brown presented each of the teenagers with a handsome personalized plaque created just for the Blue Devils.

Jeffrey Ramirez Wins Dennis Edwards Scholarship...

The passage of time might lessen some of the pain, but it doesn’t make it much easier to discuss a terrible event that strikes so close to home. Brooke Cortese was at the high school last week to present the Dennis Edwards Memorial Scholarship Award to senior Jeffrey Murillo Ramirez.

The $2,000 scholarship honors a Huntington Class of 1984 member who was cut down on the morning of September 11, 2001, while working as a partner with global bond giant Cantor Fitzgerald atop One World Trade Center in Manhattan.

Mr. Edwards was among the nearly 3,000 completely innocent Americans, including more than 400 uniformed firefighters and police officers who were killed when terrorists hijacked four planes on the morning of 9/11/01 and staged su***de attacks by flying them into the north and south World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. The fourth plane crashed in an open field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers tried to overwhelm the terrorists and prevent them from completing their attack on a destination believed to be either the US Capitol or the White House.

The Huntington grad was in the upper reaches of the north tower (One World Trade Center) when the hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the building’s north façade at about the 80th floor at 8:46 a.m. The attack killed 1,402 at or above the impact zone.

Known around town as “The Mayor,” Mr. Edwards married his high school sweetheart, Patti and the couple bought her parents’ home. Mr. Edwards renovated the structure himself, a testament to his ingenuity and determination.

The Huntington alum was a “people person” if ever there was one and he especially enjoyed assisting those who needed it. When terrorists bombed the World Trade Center in 1993, Mr. Edwards carried a pregnant woman down 80 flights of stairs and saved her life.

The scholarship was created by Sheila Edwards Doyle, his eldest sister. Mr. Ewards was born and raised in Huntington, the youngest of five children. “Dennis and I met in the summer of 1985 while we were working together at Waldbaum’s in downtown Huntington,” Ms. Edwards said. “We were married in 1996 and had one daughter, Alexa Marie. Anyone who knew Dennis will tell you that the only thing he loved more than life itself was people. He did not just love ‘his’ people, but rather he was enamored by each person he met. My husband had a way of listening to others that let them know they were important. He truly never met a stranger.”

The Edwards scholarship is prized among Huntington’s graduating seniors. “Dennis somehow connected with more people in his short 35 years here than most of us will in a lifetime,” Ms. Edwards said. “Many of us referred to Dennis as our ‘go-to’ person and not only did he love being asked to help, but he genuinely appreciated the act of helping others. He lived a life in which he worked to leave each person better than he found them.”

The Edwards scholarship honors his legacy at Huntington High School. Mr. Chacon plans to attend Suffolk Community College in the fall.
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Therapy dog, Hazel stopped by Finley Middle School to help ease students' stress and calm their nerves before their Regents exams.

Finley Softball Displays Tremendous Offensive Growth...

In her first season as J. Taylor Finley Middle School’s softball coach, teacher Christin Federici notched improvements in individual players as well as the program in general.

Finley was captained by Lia Rotunno, Amiyah Herring, Scarlett Phillips, Gretchen Schmid and Grace Gonzalez. The final roster contained the names of 20 players.

“Some of our team’s biggest accomplishments this season included recording a rare triple play and showing tremendous growth offensively,” Federici said. “The team consistently improved at the plate, resulting in countless hits, stolen bases, and opportunities to get on base throughout the season. These accomplishments were possible because of the players' hard work, willingness to learn, and commitment to improving their skills each day. Despite many athletes being new to organized sports, they developed confidence, teamwork, and a stronger understanding of the game as the season progressed.”

Read more at www.hufsd.edu

Let's parade and party and celebrate our New York State champion Huntington High School girls' lacrosse team and our world champion New York Knicks basketball team - Tuesday, June 23 at 4:30 p.m. at Heckscher Park. Meet at the Sabbath Day Path entrance and parade to the Chapin Rainbow Stage for the celebration. Everyone is invited.