Huntington Seniors Earn PTSA Scholarships
The Huntington High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association closed out another successful year by awarding scholarships to graduating seniors Dixon Doblas, Samantha Guzman, Tyler Cook, Lilibeth Quintanilla and Brian J. McConnell.
PTSA President Alice Marie Rorke spoke about the scholarships and this year’s recipients during Huntington’s senior academic awards ceremony last month. Each of the teenagers received $500 stipends.
The PTSA annually awards three scholarships, but this year the organization presented two additional awards related to its “It Can Wait; Don’t Text and Drive” initiative.
The traditional PTSA scholarship program honored “three very deserving individuals who have been chosen because they have demonstrated academic achievement as well as good citizenship and character,” Mrs. Rorke said. “The PTSA applauds your hard work and diligence as well as your desire to continue your education.”
Mr. Doblas is headed to New York University to study marketing. At one time or another he was a member of Huntington’s basketball, volleyball and volleyball teams. The teenager has said that support from his family, teachers and classmates helped him develop a strong work ethic and dedication to his school endeavors.
One of the top young artists on Long Island, Ms. Guzman has won many awards. She will be attending SUNY Farmingdale in the fall. “Teachers and friends alike will describe Samantha as nice, but that does not do her justice,” said Bernadette Walsh, Huntington’s college counselor. “Samantha is more than nice; she has strong morals and values that she lives by. She knows who she is and what is really important in her life. She doesn’t need to follow the crowd because she already knows where she is going. She stands up for her beliefs and will be missed by this high school.”
Mr. Cook plans to attend SUNY Farmingdale in the fall before transferring to SUNY Geneseo for the spring semester. He intends to study mathematics. He said the key to his success has been working his hardest and never giving up. The teenager won varsity letters playing on the Blue Devil tennis team, was a member of the drama club’s stage crew and served as a high school science lab assistant.
PTSA scholarship recipients are chosen by the members of guidance department and the general faculty. The organization has a scholarship endowment fund and has been awarding scholarships for more than 25 years.
“It Can Wait”
The PTSA went to great lengths this year to discourage high school students and the community at-large from texting and driving. The “It Can Wait” campaign struck a chord with many teenagers who came to understand how texting and driving are a deadly mix.
In partnership with Huntington Chevrolet and Affinity Insurance, its corporate partners in the “It Can Wait” initiative, the PTSA sponsored a scholarship contest that challenged seniors to submit essays and short videos promoting the anti-texting and driving message and explaining how they intend to continue spreading the word about the issue being the high school community.
Mr. McConnell earned a $500 scholarship for his exceptional video. He will be attending Johns Hopkins University in the fall and focusing on mathematics and film studies. The teenager was one of the Blue Devil marching band’s drum majors last year. He was a member of Huntington’s crew and fencing teams, participated in the Quiz Bowl and had a hand in many high school activities and initiatives over the past four years.
Ms. Quintanilla captured the second $500 “It Can Wait” PTSA scholarship for her insightful essay on the perils of texting and driving. She is headed to St. John’s University in Queens where she intends to take a wide variety of courses before choosing a specific academic major and career path.