Huntington’s Distinguished Seniors Feted at Dinner

The top members of Huntington High School’s Class of 2026 were feted at this year’s Distinguished Seniors dinner in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium last Thursday night.

During the upbeat affair the high achieving teenagers recognized a set of teachers who have meant so much to them over the years. A large crowd numbering about 300 turned out for the annual event that honors Huntington’s leading scholars.

Principal Rochelle C. Brown and Superintendent Beth McCoy saluted the 117 exceptional students for their remarkable academic performance and noteworthy efforts outside of classes and in the community.

Several Huntington School Board members along with Deputy Superintendent Christopher Hender, Assistant Superintendents Brenden Cusack and Dr. Rubie Harris, district principals and department leaders and Huntington High School Assistant Principals Dr. Amy S. Cabelo and Gamal Smith were also in attendance.

117 Distinguished Seniors Honored

The honorees included Maya Ackerman, Frank Algieri, Ethan Ambrosio, Zain Amin, Giana Anfolisi, Aliz Araujo Raymundo, Brian Arreaga Vega, Dana Avila Justo, Ruby Baliber, Alexandra Balm, Kiley Barch, Genesis Bautista Marroquin, Jordana Boxer, Emma Boyle, Jessica Bree, Bridget Callery, Charlotte Cassatto, Sage Cicciari, Kathleen Cocoman, Isabella Cruz Ponce, Connor DiBenedetto, Ryan DiVico, Grayson Dunn, Eshmal Fatima, Wynne Franciscovich, Carly Gallagher, Xavier Garcia Granados, Yoana Garcia Ibarra, Gabriela Genao, Oliver Gerberg, Henry Gerberg, Joselyn Gomez Ordonez, Grace Gordon, Jenna Grattan, Nyah Grigg, Emma Gutierrez, Jacob Guzik, Heather Herman, Angelina Hernandez, Mildred Hernandez Veliz, Erika Hernandez Veliz, Emely Herrera Rivas, Ruby Hoffman, Amani Hug and Jamyn Husselbeck.

Rachel Huth, Mark Ingram, Spencer James, Matthew Jimenez, Jack Kamenstein, Mia Kaufman, Oliva Kaufman, Samuel Klaaren, Shannon Koepele, Spencer Krull, Giovanna Lanfranco, Kyra Larsen, Jessica Lee, Jeremyah Leiva, Gideon Linker, Walter Lopez Martinez, Christian Luca, Naomi Lyons, Mabelin Maldonado Licona, Jesley Martinez Canales, Alexa Mazure, Anna McCormick, Olivia McGreevy, Kiera McGuire, Angel Menjivar Quintanilla, Cecilena Monge Moreira, Arly Moreira Portillo, Alexander Morris, Presley Moss, Marin Mullaly, Samantha Muller, Mindy Najera Flores, Thomas Nicotra, Chase Northrop, Andrew Ochoa Islas, Grace Oliva, Luis Orrego Salinas, Isabella Palacios, Caleb Palermo, Claire Parks, Evan Persampire and Emma Polinsky were also recognized as Distinguished Seniors.

The honorees also included Sergio Portillo Jaellyn Portillo Bueso, Valentina Puccio, Vincent Pupillo, Carolina Ramos Saravia, Christian Reyes Pineda, Julia Richards, Sebastian Romero, Nathan Root, Miguel Rosendo Sanchez, Dana Saramago, Roodes Smilien, Daniel Simon, Jaipreet Singh, Louisa Skrobela, Cameron Smith, Banny Soc Concua, Alexander Tine, Heileen Torres, Sofia VanArsdale, Belinda Velasquez Maldonado, Sofia Vias, Eileen Villarreal, Lily Wasoski, Jolie Weinschreider, Avante Williams-Samuels and Dylan Wong.

The seniors were asked to select one teacher to be honored from the first school they attended in the district and from each of their subsequent schools.

The seniors recognized teachers Eileen Wallace (Jefferson School), Suzanne Dinehart (Washington School), Leticia Cuthbertson (Flower Hill School), Carlene Cournane (Southdown School), Elaine McKeown (Woodhull School), Jenny Finnegan-Strachovsky (Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School), Jessica Simma (J. Taylor Finley Middle School) and Lauren Desiderio (Huntington High School).

The large crowd was feted to a delicious meal whipped up by highly regarded Long Island chef Howard J. Fay. Huntington High School administrators and secretaries served the crowd as it passed along tables filled with various dishes.

As the evening’s program finally drew to a close, parents began snapping hundreds of photographs of the seniors as they posed in groups with their classmates.