LHS hosted its 51st annual Senior Awards Night on Tuesday, May 25 to honor deserving individuals in the graduating Class of 2021. One hundred and twenty five students were recognized among more than 60 awards, in addition to the recognition of valedictorian Ashley Roth and salutatorian Kathryn Postiglione. 

     The event was organized, as always, by the LHS Guidance Department and Scholarship Committee, which includes guidance counselors, building administrators, teachers, and benefactors. The precise dollar amount awarded in scholarships remains to be determined, but Director of Guidance Laurie Mitchell confirmed that the collective number is well over $100,000. 

     Students applied for the awards in January, and the Scholarship Committee met in March to determine the lucky students who would receive each honor. Recipients were chosen on the bases of academic excellence, impressive school or community service work, athletic success, or financial need; benefactors also provided the committee with criteria for their respective award recipients. While some awards came in the form of a plaque or certificate, most included a scholarship with monetary value. 

     Unlike a typical senior awards ceremony, parents and loved ones were not able to cheer from the gymnasium bleachers as students accepted their awards. Instead, the event was live streamed to all viewers, and the only people present were the graduating class, guidance counselors, and administrators. For this reason, benefactors did not have the opportunity to present the awards, as per tradition. Guidance counselors and administrators, rather, presented each honor to the students.

     Many honors were created in memory of revered Lynbrook community members, those who are “near and dear to the heart of LHS,” Mitchell said. Memorial awards include the Zachary Bernstein Inspiration Award — in honor of the beloved student who passed away in 2014 after a battle with brain cancer — and the Santo J. Barbarino “Owls of Excellence” Scholarship — in honor of the late, venerated superintendent of schools. 

     Emotions were palpable throughout the ceremony, for students, staff, and even for spectators via Zoom. While presenting the Dennis Buckley Memorial Scholarship to recipient Nathan Stewart, Principal Joseph Rainis struggled to hold back tears, as he read the words of his brother, Peter, who has presented the award since 2002.

     “This was an extraordinary year,” said Mitchell, “so to be able to host a live event is finally bringing us back to a place of normalcy. All we wish is to celebrate this graduating class that has been through so much. Each and every one of the graduates was there to celebrate, and they truly brought their all,” she added.

     At the closing of the ceremony, Rainis thanked all who contributed to making the event possible, and he congratulated the Class of 2021 for their vast array of accomplishments, even withstanding the challenges of the pandemic. “I will never forget how the Class of 2021 handled all of the changes and setbacks they encountered this year,” Rainis said. “Always look at the bright side, and know this: You’ve already proven that it works,” he addressed to the graduates.

     The link to the recorded ceremony can be located on the high school’s page of the Lynbrook School District website.