Adrianna LoScalzo and Robert Smith are going places. The Huntington High School Class of 2022 members recently concluded fabulous four year runs and will soon head off to college. The pair won the first ever District School Principal’s Association scholarship awards.
Known by the acronym, DSPA, the group is the professional organization of Huntington UFSD’s principals, assistant principals and department directors. Ms. LoScalzo and Mr. Smith were presented with twin $500 scholarships by Huntington High School Principal Brenden Cusack, who is a member of DSPA’s executive board.
Ms. LoScalzo will be attending North Carolina State University in Raleigh, where she plans to study accounting. Mr. Smith will study finance at Stony Brook University.
Both teenagers were named Distinguished Seniors last spring after compiling academic grade averages of 90 or better during every semester of high school.
Ms. LoScalzo attributes her success to her organizational skills. She said that being organized allowed her to balance and manage her academic responsibilities along with her extracurricular activities. She was a key player on the Blue Devil varsity girls’ soccer team that reached the playoffs and upset Commack in the first round last fall.
The chief financial officer of her Virtual Enterprise firm, Ms. LoScalzo thrived throughout high school. She was inducted into three separate academic honor societies.
Mr. Smith has been recruited by Stony Brook to play on its NCAA Division I lacrosse team. He is a faceoff specialist. He said that finding a balance between academics and sports has been the key to his success. Time management, preparation, dedication and hard work have all been essential components to his long list of academic and co-curricular achievements. He captained the Blue Devil varsity football, wrestling and lacrosse teams, earning All-County honors in all three sports.
Mr. Smith won the Suffolk wrestling championship last winter and placed fourth in the state tournament. An Advanced Placement Scholar, he was inducted into five separate academic honor societies. He is especially proud of his participation in the high school’s Natural Helpers program. He was chosen by classmates and trained to help others who are navigating their way through challenging personal circumstances.
Mr. Cusack presented the scholarships at this year’s senior academic awards ceremony in the high school auditorium. The event was attended by a crowd numbering in the hundreds.
Woodhull Intermediate School Principal Scott Oshrin serves as DSPA’s president.