Thursday, October 1, 2026
Christian Choi has spent years preparing for a life of service. On June 7, that commitment was recognized when the soon-to-be North Shore High School graduate received a 2026 Ben Farnan Scholarship during a ceremony hosted by the Tribute and Honor Foundation and Glenwood Landing American Legion Post 336.
Choi, who has been appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, was honored alongside Glen Cove High School graduate Sarah Ayiku, who plans to serve in the U.S. Army as a combat medic.
The scholarship is named for Ben Farnan, a Korean War veteran who received both the Bronze Star and Silver Star and remained active in public service after returning home. Foundation leaders said the award recognizes students who demonstrate a commitment to service and leadership.
Gaitley Stevenson Mathews, founder of the Tribute and Honor Foundation, said the organization was established in 2021 to support veterans, but its mission naturally expanded to include those preparing to serve in the military.
“All of our freedoms that we enjoy would not be possible were it not for our veterans,” Mathews said. “The veterans start with our active-duty military and the people who choose to serve our nation in the armed forces.”
Mathews said Choi and Ayiku represent the next generation of Americans willing to make sacrifices on behalf of their country.
“When I think of people like Ben Farnan, who served his country and came home and continued to serve his community, that is true legacy,” Mathews said. “In these young people, we see the beginning of caring and wanting to do good by your country and serve your country and protect our nation and our liberty.”
Farnan congratulated both recipients, calling them “eminently qualified” and praising their decision to pursue military careers.
“I’m pleased that they have decided upon a military environment at this stage of the game,” Farnan said. “It’s an excellent time to be a part of the military, and if you decide to stay as a career, that’s also a very profound legacy.”
He noted that military service provides valuable leadership experience and technical training while instilling discipline and responsibility.
North Shore High School Principal Eric Contreras said Choi stands out among the thousands of students he has worked with during his 31 years in education.
“Christian is up there,” Contreras said. “You meet a lot of exceptional students. Christian is up there.”
Contreras reflected on the significance of honoring military service and civic responsibility, noting that schools have a responsibility not only to prepare students for college and careers, but also for citizenship.
“My work is to prepare students to be citizens of this great country,” he said. “That work is beyond academics. It’s beyond the college they go to.”
The principal recalled North Shore’s annual Commitment Day celebration, when seniors wear apparel representing the colleges they plan to attend. Choi’s commitment, Contreras said, carried a deeper meaning.
“Commitment Day meant something much bigger,” Contreras said. “He was committing himself to defending us, to serving us, to serving our country, to putting his own life on the line.”
Speaking after accepting the scholarship, Choi thanked his parents and the veterans of Post 336 for helping shape his path.
“The veterans here taught me a lot about leadership,” Choi said. “Ever since I was a kid, this has been what I wanted to do, and I’m happy that I’m here right now.”
As he prepares to enter West Point, Choi joins a long tradition of military service celebrated by the foundation, local veterans and the North Shore community.
