Kianna Criscuola and Ryan Porzio clearly left their marks at Huntington High School where the duo was among the most distinguished recent graduates. The pair claimed this year’s New York State Attorney General’s Triple C Awards.
Sponsored by State Attorney General Letitia James, the Triple C Award recognizes “the courage, character and commitment of New York State’s outstanding students. Whether succeeding in academic pursuits, participating in community service, displaying leadership skills, or overcoming personal obstacles, these students provide us with hope for a brighter future. This award was established to honor these student leaders.”
Principal Brenden Cusack presented this year’s awards during a ceremony in the high school auditorium. An Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction, Ms. Criscuola will be attending Colgate University in upstate New York where she plans to study either ecology or environmental science. Mr. Porzio is also an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction. He will be attending Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia and plans to study business administration.
Ms. Criscuola credited her success to “being curious and asking questions.” Taking challenging classes that she was passionate about gave her an opportunity to learn across academic disciplines. She especially enjoyed AP Biology, AP Environmental Science and AP Drawing classes. She interned with biology teacher Joseph Cohen and was physics teacher Stacey Byrnes’ lab assistant. Co-president of Natural Helpers and vice president of the Science Honor Society, she also played on the varsity volleyball team and garnered Academic All-County honors.
Mr. Porzio earned top grades while playing on the Blue Devil varsity football and lacrosse teams. He credits his overall academic success to his time management skills. He has raised funds for Special Olympics by participating in the Polar Plunge at Crab Meadow Beach and has served in leadership roles with both the Italian Honor Society and National Honor Society. He was the chief operating officer of Paladin, a Virtual Enterprise firm the teenager developed with his classmates.