What do West Point’s Ainsley Schnack, Sadie Scott and Lucas Haley; New Windsor’s Conor Smith; Highland Falls Aspacia Fatsis, Katherine Dorsch and Noa Young; Fort Montgomery’s Ava Lopez, Lilia Surowka and Quinn Manning; Cornwall’s Hannah Accilli and Marisa Barnsby; and Stony Point’s Catherine Picarello have in common?
They were the honorees at Assemblyman Chris Eachus’ first ever Youth Leadership Awards. They gathered at the American Legion Hall in Highland Falls on Saturday afternoon to receive their citations.
“Thank you all for taking time out of your Saturday afternoon to come here today,” Eachus said to the honorees, and their parents who were with them. “In this district we have kids who are doing great things every single day; they are probably our most important resource.”
Eachus, a retired educator, kept the event informal, saying that “nothing is more worthwhile than honoring our youth”.
Also at the event were Town of Highlands Supervisor Bob Livsey and Orange County Legislator Laurie Tautel.
“Today we come together to celebrate not only the accomplishments of our young leaders, but also the potential they hold to shape a brighter future for us all,” the assemblyman said as he began the award presentations. “You will hear about their dedication to making a difference in their communities, their schools and the world at large; it should serve as an inspiration to us all.
A little about each of the young men and women:
Ainsley Schnack
An O’Neill High School student, Schnack excels academically, is in several clubs, on the golf team and in the National Honor Society. She serves as the sergeant-at-arms in the Highlands United Youth, and volunteers with Reading Buddies at the Fort Montgomery Elementary School. She spent a great deal of time last summer helping after the July 9 floods.
Sadie Scott
An Army ‘brat’, Scott has traveled the world with her family, and has found a way to be involved in her schools and communities along the way. She is the secretary of S2S at O’Neill High School and in the National Honor Society, and participates in both the school’s vocal and instrumental music programs, earning awards along the way. She also helps at her church, planning events like Vacation Bible School.
Lucas Haley
Haley is an Eagle Scout, member of the National Honor Society, and treasurer for the O’Neill High School Drama Club. He also helped after the July 9 floods, at both Sacred Heart Church in Highland Falls and Most Holy Trinity at West Point, where he also serves as an altar server. He is also captain of O’Neill’s Academic Team, plays guitar, has performed in school musicals, and “consistently seeks opportunities to make a positive impact on his school, community and country.”
Conor Smith
Smith is an Air Force JROTC cadet at Newburgh Free Academy who is very involved in community events, including volunteering at Honor Flights, ringing bells for the Salvation Army in December, and tutoring other JROTC cadets. He plays hockey, wrestles and plays baseball, and is a group command chief in the JROTC.
Aspacia Fatsis
While she could not be at the ceremony, Fatsis was honored for “being a beacon of service and leadership” in the Highland Falls community, as well as being a member of the National Honor Society at O’Neill High School and singer in the school’s Women’s Choir. She is a former Girl Scout and a member of the Highlands United Youth, where she has helped with the holiday parade and at the local food pantries and thrift shops.
Katherine Dorsch
A former Girl Scout (earning both Silver and Bronze awards) and co-vice president of Highlands United Youth, Dorsch spent much of last summer working on flood-related recovery in Highland Falls. She is a member of the National Technical Honor Society, studying veterinary science at Orange-Ulster BOCES.
Ava Lopez
Lopez also is a member of the Highlands United Youth, and has assisted in programs like the creation of a ‘Buddy Bench’ at the Highland Falls Intermediate School and with planting at the 9/11 Garden She has also worked at the community Thanksgiving Dinner. She sings in the Women’s Choir at O’Neill High School, and participated in school musicals. She is on the track team.
Noa Young
Young, a senior at O’Neill High School, is the JROTC Command Sergeant Major there, “a testament to his outstanding leadership skills”. He takes honors and advanced placement courses, maintaining a 3.8 GPA, and plays varsity soccer, and is on the cross country, ski and track and field teams. A National Honor Society member, Young has volunteered as a youth soccer coach, and is working toward his Eagle Scout distinction.
Lilia Surowka
A member of O’Neill High School’s National Honor Society, and a track team member, Surowka “is a shining example of youth leadership and community engagement”, having been a Girl Scout and the current treasurer of Highlands United Youth.
Quinn Manning
Manning participated in the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Foundation, where she worked on community projects like packing food for those who need it. She is president of the O’Neill High School Drama Club, and treasurer of the Women Empowerment Group there. She’s also the president of Highlands United Youth, and was actively involved in flood clean-up last summer. A former Girl Scout, “she has an unwavering commitment to serving others”.
Hannah Accilli
A Cornwall Central High School senior, Accilli plans to study Early Childhood Education at SUNY New Paltz next fall. She’s a “dedicated and compassionate individual who has demonstrated exceptional commitment both academically and in her community.” A varsity athlete, she also volunteers with the Knights of Columbus’s food drives and outreach programs.
Marisa Barnsby
Barnsby, a member of the Class of 2026 at Cornwall Central High School, couldn’t be at the event. “She is recognized as a natural leader, embodying excellence both in and out of the classroom”, Eachus said, noting her 102.4 GPA. She is also a dedicated volunteer in her community, helping with homeless outreach in Newburgh. She is a winner of the Cornwall Library Mumford Memorial Poetry contest, and a varsity athlete.
Catherine Picarello
North Rockland High School senior Picarello will attend SUNY New Paltz next year where she plans to study biology and play lacrosse. She has hosted lacrosse and basketball tournaments for local youth, “instilling in children a love for the sports she holds dear”. Picarello is in five honor societies at her school, is an AP Scholar, and ranks in the top five percent of her graduating class.
