Jesley Martinez Canales Garners Kate Bender Scholarship

Kate Bender was a wonderful woman who will never be forgotten by those she worked with and helped in their professional careers. She was widely known around the Huntington School District for the longtime role she played in the personnel office.

For many years, every teacher joining the faculty worked with Mrs. Bender during the hiring process and often later to secure their permanent state certification.

Mrs. Bender’s well-deserved retirement was cut short when she was felled by pancreatic cancer following an exceptionally hard-fought and courageous battle against the terrible disease. She was known for a wicked sense of humor and she could deadpan with the best of them. She never lost her upbeat nature or smile, even in the midst of her health struggle, which was serious.

After Mrs. Bender passed away in December 2017, a scholarship was created in her memory. Her longtime co-workers initially helped fund the award. This year’s $2,000 Kate Bender Memorial Scholarship Award was presented by Assistant Principal Dr. Amy Cobelo to senior Jesley Martinez Canales, who is headed to the University at Albany.

Kate Bender “truly epitomized perseverance, patience and positivity and is missed by many,” Dr. Cobelo told the crowd gathered in the high school auditorium for the senior scholarships and awards ceremony.

The award criteria requires the ultimate recipient to “demonstrate persistence and determination in overcoming or managing some sort of obstacle or challenge.”

“The key to my success has been my hardworking and supportive mother who never got to finish her education, pushing me to be the best I can possible be,” Ms. Martinez said. “My older brother who gives me the hardest but necessary talks with the best advice. My dad, who developed and nurtured my creative, artistic, and kind spirit. And my boyfriend who makes me feel special and valued, who consistently brightens my day and makes sure I get my homework done.”

This is little doubt that Kate Bender would have been a member of Ms. Martinez’s fan club. She has been a great teammate and competitor and is one of the top throwers in the Suffolk girls’ track and field circuit.

“The things I enjoyed most throughout high school were making lifelong diverse friendships, the unique field trips and traveling experiences with chamber orchestra and track, and finding myself along the way,” Ms. Martinez said. “My highlights throughout high school have been being chosen as the recipient of the Huntington Hispanic Task Force scholarship and being named an AP Scholar. I have also been inducted into the English, Spanish, Math, Social Studies, Tri-M, and National Honor Societies.”