Impressive Trio Claims Donald A. Pius Scholarships

Huntington High School seniors Rudis Villatoro Benitez, Heileen Torres and Kellee Benitez are this year’s recipients of the Donald A. Pius Scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each.

The awards were presented by Mr. Pius’ daughter, Morgan Pius at the high school’s annual scholarship ceremony in the auditorium. A crowd of about 300 attended the festivities.

The Donald A. Pius Scholarship is available to seniors in the town. Five scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each are presented and are renewable for four years, covering college or vocational trade education.

Criteria for the scholarship includes financial need, academic performance community service, family responsibility and extracurricular activities. Applicants are asked to submit a 500 word essay in which they describe the problems or needs in the community they would like to address. “Discuss your future goals and how receiving this scholarship would benefit you,” states the application.

Mr. Villatoro will be attending SUNY Old Westbury in the fall. Ms. Torres intends to study international relations at Colgate University. Ms. Benitez is headed to LIU Post.

“The key to my success has been my supportive family and friends who motivate me and inspire me to reach my goals,” Ms. Torres said. “The aspect of my high school years that I’ve enjoyed the most is meeting diverse groups of people. I have gotten the opportunity to experience new cultures and make cherished friendships through clubs and classes. The highlights of my extracurricular involvement include participating in the Puerto Rican Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute for the past two years, where I took part in a Mock Assembly at the State Capitol in Albany."