Blue Devil Duo Wins Town Scholar Athlete Awards

Huntington Town Board members honored Huntington High School seniors Haileigh Smith and Nikolai Seferian for their outstanding scholarship, community service and athletic achievements.

The Town Board presents its coveted Scholar Athlete Award to one male and one female member of the graduating class of each Town of Huntington high school.

Councilwoman Joan Cergol, a Huntington High School alum, spoke eloquently about Ms. Smith and Mr. Seferian, describing their attributes in glowing terms for the crowd, which included principals, athletic directors, superintendents and family members.

Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky and high school Principal Brenden Cusack were both on hand for the festivities, offering the two Blue Devil seniors their heartfelt congratulations and later posing with the pair for a series of commemorative photos.

Haileigh Smith

Salutatorian of Huntington High School’s Class of 2023, Haileigh Smith has captured varsity athletic letters in volleyball, fencing and softball. She will be attending Dartmouth College where she plans to study biology in preparation for a career as a dermatologist.

Ms. Smith is a leader in and out of the classroom and on and off the playing field from being a varsity team captain to serving as treasurer of both the Key Club and Varsity Club; as the financial secretary of the Science Honor Society and as the National Honor Society’s historian and tutoring coordinator.

Ms. Smith’s National History Day project on trailblazing Black sportswriter Wendell Smith, elected to the writer’s wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, won first place in the Long Island regional finals and captured third place in the state.

Ms. Smith credits her success to time management and organizational skills along with the unwavering support from her teachers and classmates.

The county fencing tournament runner-up in sabre, Ms. Smith has been an outstanding scholar, athlete and goodwill ambassador for Huntington High School.

Nikolai Seferian

A National Merit Scholarship Commended Student, Nikolai Seferian has been a standout at Huntington High School, where he has excelled academically, artistically, athletically and in every other possible way. He will be attending Georgetown University where he plans to run on the NCAA Division I track team and study political science and government in preparation for a career in public service.

A state champion and All-American in track and field, Mr. Seferian has played a key role on the Blue Devil indoor and outdoor teams throughout high school.

Mr. Seferian’s artwork has been exhibited at local shows and featured on the cover of the national edition of School Arts magazine.

Treasurer of Huntington’s English Honor Society and the Women’s Empowerment club, secretary of the high school’s National Honor Society chapter and tutoring coordinator for both the Science and Math Honor Societies, Mr. Seferian served as the CEO of his Virtual Enterprise company, leading his executive team into the national finals.

A member of the staff of Etcetera, Huntington High School’s literary magazine, Mr. Seferian credits his determination, hard work and refusal to give up for his noteworthy success.