A group of exceptional Huntington High School seniors captured numerous science honors at the annual academic awards ceremony in the auditorium last month.
Jonathan Shechter captured the Martin Schnittman Award for Physics, which carries a $1,000 stipend. Named for a longtime Huntington High School physics teacher who passed away prematurely, the scholarship is one of the most prestigious presented each June.
Mr. Shechter is headed to Rutgers University in the fall. He plans to study industrial engineering. The key to his success has been simple: He’s eager to learn. Vice president of the high school’s Math Honor Society chapter, the teenager also held down membership in both the Science Honor Society and the National Honor Society. He participated in a service trip to Tanzania last summer with classmates, Huntington alumni and social studies teacher Camille Tedeschi.
Science Honor Society Awards
Science Honor Society award recipient
Miranda Nykolyn with Dr. Clifford Swezey
Erin Morrisroe (University of Virginia), Miranda Nykolyn (Stanford University) and Rachel Roday (University of Delaware) were presented with this year’s Science Honor Society awards. Each of the teenagers received a certificate and a $500 stipend.
Suffolk County Science Teachers’ Association Award
Cornell University bound Steve Yeh was the recipient of the Suffolk County Science Teachers Association Award.
St. John’s University Women in Science Society Awards
St. John’s University Women in Science Society Awards were presented to Olivia Baldanza University of Delaware), Elizabeth Berejka (Fordham University), Jacqueline Canton-Guardado (SUNY Morrisville), Michelle D’Alessandro (Fordham University), Kathryn Dara (University at Albany), Gabriella DeLuca (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Delaney English (Binghamton University), Sabrina Floro (New York Institute of Technology), Ryann Gaffney (Boston University), Magenta Lopez (Northeastern University), Amanda LoScalzo (Gettysburg College), Erin Morrisroe (University of Virginia), Kelsey Miller (Syracuse University), Miranda Nykolyn (Stanford University), Torre Palmer (SUNY Oswego) and Rachel Roday (University of Delaware).
Rennssaler Medal
Cliff Swezey with Renssalaer Medal
recipient Julia Engle.
Julia Engle garnered the Rensselaer Medal. The senior plans to study biology at the University at Albany.
“The Rensselaer Medal was first presented in 1916 with two purposes: to recognize the superlative academic achievement of young men and women, and to motivate students toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines,” according to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s website. “The medal, the oldest prize of its kind in the United States, is on par with the Harvard Book Prize and the Brown Book Award as the most celebrated recognitions of excellence in secondary school education, according to an article that appeared in Rensselaer alumni magazine.”
All of the senior awards were presented by Clifford Swezey, the outgoing chairman of mathematics and science, 7-12, who retired at the end of June.
