Brennan Ackerman Captures Quentin Sammis Award

Brennan Ackerman is an impressive young man. He plans to attend the University of Richmond in Virginia and intends to study business administration with a concentration in business analytics. The senior’s time at Huntington High School has seen him develop many fruitful relationships and notch notable achievements along the way.

The Kiwanis Club of Huntington is so taken with Mr. Ackerman that the organization presented him with its prestigious Quentin Sammis Memorial Award in recognition of his work as president of Huntington’s Key Club chapter and his potential to spur positive change in the world around him.

The Quentin Sammis Memorial Award is given to individuals who show “great passion” for service to their school and community, according to Kiwanis Club officials Roger Sirangelo and John Reilly, who presented a scholarship to Mr. Ackerman during Huntington High School’s senior scholarship awards ceremony.

Mr. Ackerman was recognized with a special certificate along with a check for $1,000, which represents the stipend that comes with the Quentin Sammis Memorial Award.

“In my time at Huntington High School, I’ve found that the key to my success is perseverance and determination,” Mr. Ackerman said. “This has taken many forms, from attending extra help sessions to staying up late to study material. I’ve learned that I succeed most when I work hard and put genuine thought and care into my schoolwork. Of all the extracurricular activities I’ve participated in, my favorite has been Key Club. I’ve been a member for all four years and currently serve as president, an opportunity I take great pride in. Through Key Club, I’ve been able to organize and participate in events that have allowed me to make a real impact on my community/”

Born May 16, 1924, Quentin Byron Sammis was a member of Huntington’s Class of 1942. He went on to serve his country as an ensign in the United States Navy, earn an electrical engineering degree at Georgia School of Technology (he began his college studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) and an MBA at Harvard Business School, serve as owner and president of Coldwell Banker Sammis real estate and Sammis, Smith & Brush insurance and lead Friends World College as its president.

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers, dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time. The local chapter believes that Ms. Gordon has the ability and determination to achieve great things for society and change the world for the better as she moves on to college.

The Kiwanis Club considers the sponsorship of its service leadership programs, such as the Key Club to be among the most important projects it undertakes. The Key Club seeks to develop leadership, build character and provide service to the school and community.

Mr. Sammis founded the Townwide Fund of Huntington and the Huntington Arts Council and at one time or another was integrally involved in the YMCA, Huntington Hospital, the Visiting Nurse Service and the Family Service League. The Huntington High School graduate served in the US Navy during World War II and in the U.S. Navy Reserve for two decades.

Mr. Sammis, whose family has lived in Huntington village for generations dating to the Revolutionary War, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loved ones on August 29, 2007 after battling cancer for 13 months. He was 83.