Three Talented Seniors Earn PTSA Scholarships
The Huntington High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association, which has worked so hard this year to support the programs, staff and students that make the school special, awarded $1,500 in scholarships at last week’s senior academic awards night.
PTSA President Anne Connell said the group “is proud and honored to present three very deserving seniors with scholarships. These students have demonstrated good citizenship, character and outstanding academics.”
Seniors Jessie Kitzen, Kerry Hick and Maria Marascia were each given $500 awards. “The PTSA was especially generous this year and picked three exceptional young people,” Superintendent John J. Finello.
Mr. Kitzen, who will attended Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida in the fall to pursue his interests in film and video, has participated on the Blue Devil crew team since his sophomore year and been a member of the Habitat for Humanity and video clubs. “Outside of school he has been a member of Boy Scout Troop 12 since first grade and is now a proud member of the Huntington Fire Department’s junior brigade,” Mrs. Connell said. “All this has been accomplished while continuously improving academically.”
Ms. Hicks, who is headed to St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia to study marketing, has left her mark in many areas, most notably on the high school girls’ basketball team, where she won five varsity letters, became Huntington’s all-time leading scorer, helped lead the Blue Devils to the 2008 Suffolk title and three appearances in the county Class A finals and was named to the all-state team three times.
Mrs. Connell read a breathtaking list Ms. Hicks’ activities and achievements, including pitching in to help at fundraising golf outings sponsored by the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Pederson-Krag Center, working with local food banks and on political campaigns, participating in a litany of clubs and honor societies and captaining the basketball and field hockey teams. She is also one of the high school’s top math students.
Ms. Marascia is also a top athlete on the volleyball, basketball and track teams. In basketball, she held one of Suffolk’s top scorers to just two points in the county semi-finals this year. On the track, she is one of Long Island’s best 400m hurdlers. She is a fine student, too, and will be attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in the fall.
“Outside of the school day she has been a helper at the Greek Orthodox Church food bank and enjoyed helping to entertain patients in a local nursing home by dancing with them and playing games,” Mrs. Connell said. “She has a very good plan for her future in college with what classes and sports she would like to be involved with.”
Ms. Marascia has also participated in Huntington High School’s chamber orchestra and like Mr. Kitzen and Ms. Hicks, is popular with classmates and teachers. She was recruited by UMass to compete on its NCAA Division I track and field team.
“The support offered to students by the PTSA is really wonderful,” Mr. Finello said.
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