Half Hollow Hills East’s Emily Gershowitz Named Scholar-Artist

For more than a decade, the Long Island Arts Alliance’s Scholar-Artist Awards program has recognized students judged to be “the best of the best” on Long Island in both academics and in the arts. This year, Half Hollow Hills is proud to announce that High School East senior Emily Gershowitz was selected as a Scholar-Artist for her excellence in academics and in the area of dance. She joins 39 other students selected as Scholar-Artists or Award of Merit recipients for their skills and talents in the areas of music, visual arts, dance, theater, or media arts.

To receive this designation, students must be nominated by their school for representing the highest level of artistic excellence, submit a portfolio of their work for consideration by the selection committee, and demonstrate superior academic achievement with an un-weighted grade point average of 90 or above.

“We are so proud of Emily! She is a very talented dancer and is very deserving of this special distinction,” said Dr. Darlene Lilla, the district’s director of fine arts. “Emily’s skills and talents in the fine arts are broad and impressive. Not only is she a very talented dancer, but she also plays the violin in High School East’s Symphony Orchestra!”

The Scholar-Artist awards, given by the Long Island Arts Alliance in conjunction with Newsday and the New York Community Bank Foundation, are presented to 20 Long Island high school seniors who are featured in Newsday over the course of the 10-month school year. The Awards of Merit are given to an additional 20 students who receive a certificate at the Long Island Arts Alliance Gala and are listed on the Newsday website.

An education-oriented community with high academic expectations, the Half Hollow Hills Central School District is located in a residential area of 50,000 people in the central part of Long Island, approximately 40 miles from New York City. Providing for the education of almost 8,000 students, the school district has five elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. Half Hollow Hills High Schools are fully accredited by the New York State Department of Education. The district is committed to providing all students with opportunities to excel in academics, athletics and the arts.