Huntington’s Afro-Caribbean Heritage Club for Everyone

There is something for everyone at Huntington High School. There are so many courses, programs, clubs, performing groups, intramurals and athletic teams along with access to vocational and technical education that no one is left out.

Huntington is one of the few high schools with an active and well-attended Afro-Caribbean Heritage Club. The organization’s advisors are Sylvia Belanger and Malcolm A. Eugene.

“The club is focused on culture and history while looking toward the future,” according to a profile distributed to current high school students. “This inclusive group is for everyone who loves to learn about their own heritage and that of others. The club seeks to empower students and to bring forth positivity to the school as a whole. If you love people, music, food, culture, history and Huntington High School, this club is for you!”

Last June, the Afro-Caribbean Heritage Club presented a $500 scholarship to graduating senior Lindsay Depeine, who is now attending Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts.

The mild-mannered teenager along with Hannah Valenzuela-Ayala helped lead the club, working closely with co-advisors Ms. Belanger and Mr. Eugene.

Ms. Depeine is proud of her heritage and fascinated by the history of the region. At Huntington High School she worked hard to refine her skills throwing the shot put and discus and competed with the Blue Devil winter and spring track and field teams.

The Afro-Caribbean Heritage Club also awarded a $500 scholarship in June 2024 to Class of 2024 member Kaylee J. Adams, who helped develop the club. She is currently studying biology on a pre-med track at the University at Albany. She hopes to become a trauma surgeon as also join in research on polio and Alzheimer’s disease.

Club members and advisors pursue an active agenda to meet the needs of students and to benefit the high school community at large.