Tri-CYA’s Martone Scholarship Presented to Y’Majesty Allen
LIU Post-bound Y’Majesty Allen is this year’s Tri-Community & Youth Agency’s Joseph A. Martone scholarship recipient.
The Huntington High School Class of 2014 member won varsity athletic letters with the Blue Devil football, winter track and spring track teams. “His positive attitude and strong work ethic was contagious in each of these settings,” said Ron Wilson, a Huntington High School dean of students who coached the teenager in all three sports. “Many of the young men in our athletic program have looked up to Y’Majesty because he’s a natural leader who makes decisions based on logic and then accepts responsibility for the outcomes.”
Mr. Martone had a long association with Tri-CYA, serving on its board of directors as president, vice president, treasurer and fundraising committee chairman at one time or another for more than two decades until his death in 2004.
The scholarship is annually awarded to a graduating senior who combines “the values and ideals that Joe stood for; hard work, commitment to school work, athletics, teamwork and an unselfish dedication to a community cause,” according to Tri-CYA.
“As a [Tri-CYA] board member and volunteer, Joseph Martone stood for hard work and commitment to education,” said Linda Leake, who announced that Mr. Allen had won the $500 scholarship. “He was a team player and had an unselfish dedication to community service.”
Mr. Allen was recruited by LIU Post to run on its track and field team. “He’s gentle, compassionate and genuinely patient with both his peers and the underclassmen in our program,” Mr. Wilson said. “In practice, Y’Majesty demonstrated extreme patience in repeatedly working with teammates having difficulty with conditioning activities. His corrections came with explanations that helped them to understand why it was necessary to do what he was asking of them.”
Mr. Martone helped develop Tri-CYA’s Hall of Honor, which honors distinguished community members who have volunteered to help local youth. He was willing to do everything from helping around Tri-CYA’s facility to delivering food, supplies and even diapers to families in need. The scholarship award is funded by David S. Pottruck, one of Mr. Martone’s former students.
“I have taught, mentored and coached many students during my tenure in the Huntington School District and Y’Majesty stands out as one of the very, very best,” Mr. Wilson said. “I am so proud of him both on and off the field.”