Scholarship Created to Honor
Carmen Rivera-Gotay
A scholarship honoring the life of Carmen Rivera-Gotay, who was killed in a devastating car crash late last June, has been approved in a 7-0 vote by the Huntington School Board.
Ms. Rivera-Gotay was scheduled to graduate this June with Huntington High School’s Class of 2014. She was killed in a car crash on Walt Whitman Road in Melville early last summer. The accident also claimed the life of Huntington Class of 2013 member Ray Vega. The tragedy broke the hearts of school community members who knew and loved the teenagers.
Born in Bay Shore on December 11, 1995, Ms. Rivera-Gotay was quite popular around Huntington High School. Her interests extended into music and art. She was saving money to attend college by working as a bookkeeper at King Kullen on New York Avenue. The teenager hoped to study psychology.
“Carman brought joy to the Huntington community through her caring personality and her involvement in local activities,” according to an overview of the scholarship sent to Huntington School District officials by the Schlitt Law Firm on behalf of Ms. Rivera-Gotay’s family. “We propose a scholarship to be awarded to a graduating senior who contributed to the overall spirit of Huntington High School through a positive attitude and community involvement.”
To be eligible for the $500 scholarship a student must:
• Demonstrate community involvement through activities in school or in the community.
• Have been a positive force in school through his/her caring and respectful interaction with his/her fellow students.
• Have been accepted to a two or four year college or university, trade or vocational school.
• Be on track to graduate at the conclusion of the school year.
“This scholarship honors Carmen’s memory by recognizing a student who shines, not because of athletic or academic excellence, but because of the fullness of his/her heart, brightness of personality and willing to give of himself/herself,” according to the overview submitted by the Schlitt Law Firm.
The scholarship award is to be used to defray school costs. Recipients will also be presented with a plaque.