Alexandra Kustera and Theologos Tiliakos are two of Huntington High School’s finest. The Class of 2022 members have claimed the Joseph M. West Vocational/STEM Scholarship following exceptional four year runs.
To be considered for the scholarship a graduating senior must plan on either studying a trade or pursuing a college academic major in or related to science, technology, engineering or math.
Candidates for the award must be creative, ambitious, goal-oriented and scholarly. “It is preferred if the candidate is a hands-on learner and enjoys working on projects of any kind both in and out of the classroom,” states the scholarship criteria.
Huntington guidance counselor Daphne Marcelin announced the names of this year’s recipients at the senior scholarships and awards ceremony in the high school auditorium.
Ms. Kustera and Mr. Tiliakos, who is widely known as Teddy, were each awarded a $1,000 scholarship stipend. They were both recognized as Distinguished Seniors last spring after compiling an academic grade average of at least a 90 during every semester of high school.
A member of five separate honor societies, Ms. Kustera has won numerous awards as a filmmaker. She helped lead the Blue Devil e-sports team to the national finals last spring.
Ms. Kustera said she believes the key to her success has been in not being afraid to try unfamiliar and new things. A longtime member of the Blue Devil varsity fencing team, she was the Suffolk runner-up in sabre last winter.
Ms. Kustera plans to study interactive entertainment and simulation sciences at the University of Southern California.
Mr. Tiliakos intends to study chemistry and Northeastern University in Boston. Inducted into four academic honor societies, he cited having great teachers who pushed him out of his comfort zone as the key to his success. Balancing school and sports has taught him to remain disciplined.
Challenging classes, clubs, sports and developing productive relationships with teachers and classmates have been hallmarks of Mr. Tiliakos’ time at Huntington High School.
The teenager participating in the debate and robotics clubs, Key Club, chamber orchestra and Science Olympiad. He ran on the Blue Devil track team in each of the past four years.