Division Avenue Senior Wins State-Wide Video Contest

LEVITTOWN, NY — Division Avenue High School senior Samantha Snevily was recently recognized as the grand prize winner for grades 9-12 in the Rural Schools Association of New York State’s annual Student Video Contest, sponsored by New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal. As the winner, Snevily was awarded $1,000.

The theme of this year’s contest was “Our school. Our community.” Students were asked to create a video less than three minutes long related to the theme. Two grand prize winners, one for grades K-8 and the other for grades 9-12, were selected.

While enrolled in Mark Engels’ digital media class, Snevily created a video entitled “Better Together,” featuring the students and staff of Division Avenue High School during the pandemic. The video also featured the song “Better Together” by Ross Lynch, along with dance segments and a voiceover by Snevily herself, who stressed the importance of coming together as a community in times of difficulties.

“My school is what makes my community,” she said in the video. “It is so important, especially during times like this, to come together because like the song says, if we do, we’ll make it through whatever because we are simply better together.”

In addition to submitting her video into the contest, Snevily’s video was showcased at a Levittown Board of Education meeting this past March.