West Hempstead raised more than $12k for these scholars

Nearly 40 high school graduates applied and interviewed for a scholarship from the West Hempstead Community Scholarship Fund — but five students stood out as having gone truly above and beyond over the course of their education.

Abigail Wunder, Aniyah Delany, Babacar Seck, Eduardo Leon Lotero and Isabella Rodriguez Vasequez are the recipients of the WHCSF’s 2024 scholarships.

“Know that you are the pride of your community,” said Thomas Kemnitzer, co-president of the WHCSF, to the five students, “And then take that knowledge with you wherever your life’s journey takes you.”

The scholarships, $2,500 each, were awarded based on need and merit. The awards were presented during a celebratory dinner at Olivetto’s, in Franklin Square, on May 21.

The WHCSF, a nonprofit organization, is celebrating its 55th anniversary and has been giving scholarships to West Hempstead students since 1970. Over the years, it has awarded $465,000 to 314 students — and the impact on some of those students has lasted to this day.

Melissa Benson, a past scholarship recipient, said that earning the award made her feel “inspired to give back to her community.” In a full circle moment, she presented the 2024 award to Babacar Seck as a West Hempstead Secondary School math teacher and trustee of the WHCSF.

“Earning a WHCSF scholarship award is an extremely powerful force in the lives of our recipients,” Kemnitzer said. “It’s powerful because it comes from where they live, where their values are established, where their friendships are forged, and where their hopes and dreams for their futures were created.”

Each student is pursuing higher education. Wunder, graduating from the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County in West Hempstead, will study at the University of Maryland in the fall. Living and learning in the neighborhood has shown her the kind of community she wants to live in.

“To bring the support that West Hempstead gave to me into my higher education is something just so beautiful,” Wunder said. “Like when I was looking into college, I was looking for places with the same support system that I received here in West Hempstead.”

Delany, from Sacred Heart Academy, will attend Binghamton University. The community support from her school and her neighbors has helped her continuously grow, she said.

“West Hempstead, I’ve always lived here,” Delany said. “It’s just been my community from day one. And there’s just so many great people — it’s such a diverse community. And I’ve been able to meet so many people who have been so willing to help me and give me the confidence to keep going and grow as a person.”

Seck, from West Hempstead High School, is headed to the University at Buffalo. He wants his achievement to show his peers that they are capable of anything.

“Knowing that a lot of my friends applied, and that I was the one that was chosen, means that I’ve got a lot on my shoulders,” Seck said. “But I know that if I can do it, I know my friends can do it too.”

Leon Lotero, from West Hempstead High School, will attend Molloy University. He and his family moved to West Hempstead from Columbia, and he says they found the best town in the world.

“Winning the scholarship makes me very proud,” Leon Lotero said. “And it makes me feel like what I’ve been doing is great, and it allows me to accomplish great things in my future.”

Rodriguez Vasquez, from West Hempstead High School, will go to the University of Miami in the fall. She owes all her success, she said, to her mother’s sacrifices for her and the people who helped her along the way.

“They provided such a big support for me,” Rodriguez Vasquez said of the WHCSF. “And to me, this scholarship is like a piece of the puzzle to bigger things.”

The students were joined by their families, trustees of the WHCSF, teachers, administrators, and representatives from the high schools of the recipients. It was the local people and organizations, and their donations, which made the scholarships possible. If the students take away anything from this, Kemnitzer said, it is to keep growing, but still remember their West Hempstead roots and be kind.

“We hope that wherever your education and travels take you, that you become the best version of yourselves,” Kemnitzer said. “We hope you feel inspired to give back, and that you find your passions and realize your dreams.”