Huntington – Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone was joined by his colleagues on the Town Council and members of the Town’s Hispanic Task Force in honoring 21 outstanding high school students as part of the 20th Annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration Program held at Town Hall October 24.
The Town Board and the Task Force presented Student Achievement Awards to:
o Sierra Acosta, Northport High School senior
o Santiago Alzate, Huntington High School senior
o Helga Arauz, Northport High School junior
o Diana Bartolotta, John Glenn High School senior
o Jacqueline Buonfiglio, Cold Spring High School senior
o Peri Colon, Cold Spring Harbor High School senior
o Jianna Cressy, Commack High School senior
o Juliette Cruz, Commack High School junior
o Sydney Diaz, Half Hollow Hills East senior
o Louis Hocevar, Commack High School junior
o Kevin Jimenez, Half Hollow Hills East senior
o Lenni Joya-Amaya, Huntington High School senior
o Isabella Llano, John Glenn High School senior
o Cindy Lopez, Huntington High School junior
o Ellysandra Monegro, Walt Whitman High School junior
o Alexander Orellana, Harborfields High School junior
o Gabriella Ramirez, Walt Whitman High School junior
o Angela Rios, Half Hollow Hills West senior
o Alexandra Stevens, Half Hollow Hills West senior
o Ian Tornquist, Half Hollow Hills West senior
o Paul Vallejo, Harborfields High School senior
The Community Service Award was presented to Daniel Cajigas, a longtime member of the Hispanic Task Force. Mr. Cajigas, a beverage industry executive, is president of The 50 Club, a forum for members in the liquor industry that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities. Mr. Cajigas, who was born in Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx, is an active member of the Perry Como Lodge of the Sons of Italy in Northport, a past president of the Queensboro Rotary Club and has worked on fundraising for the New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and on golf outings for the Northport American Legion and the Northport Veterans Administration Hospital. He is married and has one son and a granddaughter.
Huntington High School principal Carmela Leonardi delivered the keynote address. Dr. Leonardi has served as the high school’s principal since September 2001. Prior to that, she was a principal at two other buildings in the district. Under her leadership, Huntington Intermediate School earned a New York Excellence Award; during her tenure at the high school, the number of Advanced Placement offerings has increased and ESL bilingual courses and programs were refined and increased. She has kept an active role in organizations such as 100 Hispanic Women and Long Island Somos el Futuro. She believes strongly that all students, and especially English language learners, can and should realize their dream of a better future by taking advantage of a strong educational system.
Musical selections were performed by the Walt Whitman High School Whitman Quartet and the Triple M Fiesta Band.
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Sponsors for the night included the Palacios Law Group, the Dental Offices of Dr. Lew Milhim & Associates and Super K Deli.