Uniondale students awarded graduate scholarships | Herald Community Newspapers

Five Uniondale High School graduates received financial assistance to help pay for college: Milvia Aavilar Chinchilla, Christian Auguste, Savannah Hope, Kenyeli Leiva and David Ramirez received Uniondale Alumni Scholarships in the amount of $1,125 on June 4. All five students will start college in the fall.

Duane Shippey, scholarship organizer and president of the Uniondale Alumni Association, said he sees the awards as a way to give back to his community.

“It’s about us just showing these little kids that we were in their shoes at some point and we really care,” Shippey said. “We want to pay it forward and we hope they remember that and can do the same.”

Rochelle C. Brown, vice principal of Uniondale High and chairwoman of the scholarship committee, is putting together a brochure of scholarships awarded to high school seniors, with the graduate scholarship being one of about 50 options available to them.

“We have a variety of students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, so we understand that each scholarship is beneficial to them and helps them achieve their goals after high school,” Brown said.

She added that the alumni association and scholarships are of particular importance to the school because they set a good example for students.

“We just love the fact that graduates continue to be involved in the school community,” Brown said, “and it sets a good example for our students as they embark on their careers to give back to those who come after them.”

This is the sixth year in which scholarships have been awarded to graduates. Shippey created it in 2018, soliciting donations from other members of the Class of 1993 and alumni from other years.

To qualify for the award, students must have a grade point average of at least 79 and must submit a 500-word essay about their involvement in the Uniondale community and their future endeavors, whether higher education or something less traditional.

“College is no longer the traditional path these days,” Shippey said. “For some people, it’s something that transcends corporate America. I’d like to know what their plans are.”

Georgette Grier-Key, board president of the Museum Association of New York, who is also active in other civic organizations, is a Uniondale High graduate and a member of the alumni association. She said she was proud to help fund the scholarship and participate in the selection process.

“It’s very rewarding to be a part of this process, but it’s even more rewarding to be a graduate of Uniondale High School,” Grier-Key said.

Erica Lee-Benedetto, another graduate, is now CEO of Marquis Who’s Who, a Uniondale-based publishing house. She continues to be a strong figure in the community and the alumni association, and said she believes in giving back.

“Shippey reached out to me, gave me this opportunity,” Lee-Benedetto said, “and in the future, as a Uniondale graduate, I will be able to give back, not only financially, but also as a mentor and continue this cycle.”

Shippey’s family moved to Uniondale from Queens when he was 8, and he played baseball in the Police Activity League, joined a bowling league and swam in a public pool.

“I was able to attend a lot of events that I might not have had access to if I had stayed in Queens,” he said.

His positive experiences at Uniondale, as well as the scholarships he received as a student that helped him get a head start, inspired him to create an alumni scholarship and stay connected to the school district. He hopes the money will help recipients realize their dreams while keeping in touch with where they came from.

“We try to instill that we are a real community, like other areas and neighborhoods that stick together,” Shippey said, “and we have a strong support system that wants to make sure (students) are successful and those dreams can actually come true.”