Jordan Forte and Charles Kiviat are two of Huntington High School’s exceptional seniors. The duo has impressed everyone, garnering the respect and admiration of their teachers, coaches, classmates and teammates.
The teenagers’ superb academic performance, impressive character, outstanding citizenship and remarkable abilities were formally recognized by the Suffolk Zone of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
Coveted Suffolk Zone Award medals
“CJ and Jordan have set a standard with respect to physical education and athletics, but more importantly, they have always represented their high school and community in the finest manner possible,” Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “They could not be more deserving of the recognition. Congratulations to both of them and to their families!”
The Suffolk Zone annually honors one senior male and female student from each high school in the county. The award recognizes outstanding performance in physical education over the course of high school.
“We are so proud of Jordan and CJ for receiving this prestigious award and for their excellent performance over the past four years,” Mrs. McCarthy said.
To be eligible for the Suffolk Zone Award students must have earned at least a 90 average in physical education class and a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average in all classes prior to the senior year, demonstrate outstanding character, show leadership skills in both physical education class and general school-wide activities and serve as a role model for other students.
Ms. Forte is headed to Stony Brook University to study health sciences. She has been recruited to play on the lacrosse team. The teenager has played on Huntington’s soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams. She has also participated in student government and the Young Leaders youth development organization.
A member of the high school’s Interact Club, Ms. Forte has been inducted into numerous academic honor societies. She has repeatedly been named a New York State Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
“My favorite activity in physical education is when we play badminton,” Ms. Forte said. “It was always fun and entertaining because whether the student was an athlete or not everyone got engaged in the games. The teachers would always get involved in the end of the unit tournament and it would be so competitive and exciting. All the kids would be cheering and rooting each other on. I have always loved building close relationships with my physical education teachers since elementary school.”
Mr. Kiviat is considering Stony Brook University, St. Francis University and the University of Rhode Island. He is interested in studying for a career as a social studies teacher.
The teenager is a track star, winning county and state titles and All-American honors. He has garnered Huntington High School Math and English Pride Awards.
“The activity that I enjoyed the most in physical education is the balance unit,” Mr. Kiviat said. “Mr. [Onix] Salva, a student teacher taught us why balance is really important. People overlook how important it is in their lives. You need balance from when you are young when learning to walk to when you are old to help prevent you from falling and getting injured. It’s a simple thing that people don’t even think about as they get older, but it’s something people use every single day without knowing it.”
