Hazel Carranza Montoya Captures Amy Ledogar Worth Scholarship

In honor of teacher Amy Worth’s lifelong love and dedication to the arts and education, a memorial scholarship fund was established in her name for a deserving art student from Huntington High School in the amount of $5,000. Fashion Institute of Technology bound Class of 2026 member Hazel Carranza Montoya captured the inaugural award.

“It has been my distinct pleasure to serve as Hazel Carranza Montoya’s teacher for both Digital Design and Illustration and Advanced Digital Design and Illustration,” art teacher Kasmira Mohanty said. “Hazel is a dedicated, authentic, and highly creative artist whose curiosity and intellectual sophistication consistently distinguish her from her peers.”

Amy Ledogar Worth studied textile design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and worked as a textile designer for over twenty-five years. Her fabric and wallpaper designs were part of the product lines for Ralph Lauren, Paloma Picasso, and Calvin Klein.

“Over the past two years, I have had the privilege of watching Hazel develop into a confident and technically accomplished artist,” Ms. Mohanty said. “Her work demonstrates a remarkable ability to explore a wide range of concepts and techniques. Even when engaging with complex or challenging subject matter, Hazel brings a sense of humor and lightness to her work, resulting in pieces that are both thoughtful and compelling. Her digital artwork reflects strong proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, along with a clear willingness to experiment, take creative risks, and continually refine her approach. She is deeply committed to personal growth and consistently pushes herself to improve her skills.”

After raising her children, Ms. Worth returned to school and obtained a BA from Queens College and a Master's in Education degree from C.W. Post. She became a beloved part of the Huntington UFSD family in 2003 and stayed for twelve years until her retirement in 2015. As part of the art department, she elevated Huntington High School's fashion design and illustration program.

“Hazel’s involvement in the arts extends well beyond the classroom,” Ms. Mohanty said. “Her artwork was selected for the prestigious Long Island’s Best competition at the Heckscher Museum of Art, an accomplishment that speaks to both the quality of her work and her initiative as an artist. Additionally, she exhibited her work at the SCALA (Suffolk County Art Leaders Association) All-County and Senior Scholarship Exhibition.”

In 2013, Ms. Worth and fellow teacher Kristin Singer assigned students to design inaugural gowns for First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters. They decided to send the designs to Ms. Obama to showcase their students' hard work and efforts. The student's designs were so well received that the class was invited to meet Ms. Obama and attend a ceremony at the Smithsonian, marking Ms. Obama's inaugural gown donation.

“Hazel’s unrelenting pursuit of artistic excellence, strong work ethic, commitment to community service, and genuinely pleasant personality make her an outstanding candidate for any institution she chooses to attend,” Ms. Mohanty said. “It has been a rare and rewarding opportunity to work with a student of her caliber.”

Outside of Huntington High School, Ms. Worth owned and operated the South Street Gallery in Greenport with her husband, Tom Payne. She taught drawing, painting, color theory, and collage classes at the gallery and throughout Suffolk's North Fork. She also produced her own gorgeous work in oil, collage, clay, fiber, and other mediums. Her paintings and collages have been exhibited at the Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington, the Southampton Cultural Center, and the Long Island Museum.

Emma Worth formally presented the Amy Ledogar Worth Memorial Scholarship to Ms. Montoya during a ceremony in the high school auditorium attended by a crowd of about 325.