Huntington High School’s Class of 1968 celebrated its 50th anniversary reunion last September over the course of a weekend that none of the alums in attendance will ever forget.
The get-together proved to be so successful that that the grads decided to present a scholarship to an outstanding member of this year’s graduating class. An award in the amount of $1,968 was presented to Samuel Roberts, who is headed to the University of Rochester to study biology on a pre-med track.
Samuel Roberts won the Huntington Class of 1968 scholarship award.
Class of 1968 members Barbara Schaefer Nienstedt and Marilyn Godde Aliperti presented Mr. Roberts with the scholarship at Huntington High School’s senior academic awards night ceremony in the auditorium.
“I completely had no idea that I was selected to win the scholarship and was surprised when they called my name,” Mr. Roberts said. The two women who presented the scholarship were incredibly nice and told me that their class was proud to pick me. I am sincerely grateful for their generous gift and kind words.”
One of the top members of Huntington’s graduating class, Mr. Roberts was one of the stars of the high school’s science research program, completing a high level internship through the Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition.
Along with Huntington classmate and research partner Sara Frawley, Mr. Roberts interned last summer at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The research partners commuted by train to east Harlem three days a week.
“Two of the three days we were in a lab conducting environmental research on the effects of Roundup on rat gene expression,” Mr. Roberts said. “The other day of the week we worked on finding ways to effectively spread information on pesticides use. We also sat in on Region 2 PESHU (Pediatrics Environmental Health Specialty Unit) meetings, which involved environmental advocates, scientists and doctors discussing medical cases that people couldn’t figure out or environmental issues.”
Outside of the lab, Mr. Roberts and Ms. Frawley worked with Dr. Sarah F. Evans, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine & Public Health. She’s a postdoctoral fellow in environmental pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Mr. Roberts made good use of his time during high school, asking lots of questions, availing himself to every possible resource and coming to class well-prepared for every daily lesson.
The teenager served as president of Huntington’s Science Honor Society chapter this past year. At the University of Rochester, Mr. Roberts will be studying with some of the top pre-med students in the world. He hopes to be an MD in the United States Army.
Huntington’s Class of 1968
The Class of 1968 was graduated at Huntington High School’s 107th commencement on Sunday, June 23 at 3:15 p.m. in the school auditorium. English teacher Christopher Cusamano utilized an organ to play Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance No. 1 as the seniors filed into the auditorium. Rev. Wallace T. Viets gave the invocation and the benediction. Principal Robert A. Cushman introduced the speakers and presided over his final commencement after a long career in the district as a teacher and administrator.
The Class of 1968’s valedictorian John J. Dryden and salutatorian Judith A. Hough both addressed the commencement crowd along with “honor speaker” Barbara J. Schaefer. Superintendent Christopher R. Vaghts presented the class members, announcing their names as the seniors climbed the steps to the stage to receive their diplomas from School Board President Robert R. Maller and Trustee Faye Raymon.