Bradley Jerson, a resident of Plainview and a 2001 graduate of Bethpage High School, was recently honored by Governor George E. Pataki as one of 62 of New York State's outstanding youth leaders at the Second Annual Governor's Youth Recognition Day celebration. The award recipients, who represent each county in New York State, were honored for the community service they performed in 2001.

"Tomorrow's heroes are the youth of today," said Governor Pataki. "In these difficult times, New York's young people demonstrate the courage and strength that is helpful to build stronger communities. These are extraordinary young people who have made a difference in their own schools and neighborhoods. They are the role models we need to help all youth understand that each of us can make a profound, positive impact."

The Governor's Youth Recognition Award was established in 2000 as one of the Empire State's highest tributes for youth leadership and community service. The award recognizes young people who have illustrated a deep commitment to their communities.

Jerson, who is currently a student at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, was nominated by Bethpage High School's Guidance Chairperson Pamela Puglisi. "I nominated him because he was an outstanding student," said Puglisi. "He created a club called Students Putting an End to Cancer (SPEC), he also won many awards and is so involved in everything. The list of awards and accomplishments is mind-boggling. He is an incredible person."

Jerson founded SPEC at Bethpage High School to help raise awareness about different kinds of cancer in the community in addition to helping those who had cancer in raising funds to provide programs and awareness campaigns throughout the community.

An awards ceremony was held last month in Albany honoring the students based on their leadership, selflessness and humanitarian values, responsibility, achievement of meaningful results, linking to community resources, benefits to and broad impact on the community, getting others involved, creativity or originality, overcoming the odds and heroism.

"Governor Pataki recognized us for our community involvement and overall contributions to bettering each community, which inevitably betters New York State," said Jerson, who received a free laptop computer for his accomplishments. "I was amazed to see some of the other people in Albany. It brought together different people who each help a different facet of society. I was in awe of everything that other people were doing. It is nice to see that this is going on all around us."

The governor's commitment to youth development programs in the 2001-02 state budget amounts to more than $100 million that funds initiatives including Advantage AfterSchools, delinquency prevention programs, runaway and homeless youth assistance and AmeriCorps.

"The Governor's Youth Recognition Awards are yet another example of Governor Pataki's ongoing commitment to the young men and women who contribute their time and energy to strengthening our families and communities. I join the governor in thanking the youth honored for their service to New York State and hope they continue working to make a difference in the lives of others," said John. A. Johnson, commissioner of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

Jerson hopes to enter into the Social Welfare Program at Stony Brook, which will lead him to a job working with children with cancer. "I want to be a child life specialist who helps kids during their treatment procedures because I would help make their treatment easier and ease the tension," said Jerson. "From SPEC, I worked very closely with kids. The kids are the true heroes during all of this. They are amazing survivors and they have so much will and strength. When you think of people with cancer, you think of people suffering, but the kids have so much strength to come through it. Sometimes they have more strength than their parents and the adults and doctors. It is a great and rewarding career."

The Youth Recognition Awards were presented in partnership with the Association of New York State Youth Bureaus, which donated the laptop computers to award recipients.