Congratulations to Ms. Diane Scricca, who was recently honored by the Town of Hempstead with the prestigious Pathfinder Award for Education. The Pathfinder Award was established to recognize the dedication and effort put forth by women residing in the Town of Hempstead. This distinguished Pathfinder Award was instituted during March to recognize Women's History Month. Women are selected throughout the Town of Hempstead for their outstanding achievement in the following categories: arts and entertainment, community affairs, education, government, health services, humanitarian, a high school senior, volunteer, and Town of Hempstead employee. The winners of their respective categories were honored during a ceremony on March 14 in the town pavilion.

Town Supervisor Richard Guardino cited Ms. Scicca for her outstanding leadership in the area of education. Supervisor Guardino noted Ms. Scricca's trail blazing leadership of Elmont Memorial, which has been nationally recognized for its excellence. Ms. Scricca, a working mother, has devoted over 25 years to public education, first as a social studies teacher, then as a chairperson, assistant principal, and principal. Throughout her career, Ms. Scricca has inspired students and teachers alike by her child-centered philosophy and unwavering commitment to educational excellence.

Ms. Diane Scricca's credentials and devotion to education make her an exceptional candidate for the Pathfinder Award. Ms. Scricca has been tremendously successful in leading Elmont Memorial High School because of her student-centered philosophy of education. Ms. Scricca holds the longest tenure of an Elmont Memorial High School principal, having served for 11 strong years. With Ms. Scricca as principal, both the school and community of Elmont have benefited by the myriad of programs implemented by this dynamic woman. Ms. Scricca strongly believes in having communities support their schools and has added the much needed support to many local groups to benefit the Elmont community as a whole.

Ms. Scricca's leadership has been widely recognized in the community and within her profession. She received the Alden Terrace Civic Association Leadership Award, the American Legion Community Service Award, and the Malayali American Association Award for Dedicated Service. In addition, Diane Scricca was named SAANYS New York State Principal of the Year, St. John's University Outstanding School Supervisor Award, NASSP National Principal of the Year Finalist, and is the recipient of a Newsday Educator Newsmaker Citation. Both the Elmont community as well as the national educational community have recognized her outstanding leadership.

Ms. Scricca has shaped Elmont Memorial High School to be an extraordinary place of learning for all students. Ms. Scricca's primary concern is to ensure that all students have the opportunity for academic achievement. This goal is the reason for the many programs implemented at Elmont over the years. Under Ms. Scricca's guidance, for example, morning, afternoon, and weekend extra help classes are available to new students, students preparing for Regents examinations, students preparing for A.P. Examinations or for students who need extra practice and instruction. A direct result of this wealth of resources to the Elmont Memorial High school students is the excellent passing percentages in Regents exams, the impressive number of Regents diplomas, and the continued high percentage of graduates moving on to four year colleges.

Another dimension that adds to Ms. Scricca's credit is her love of students. Each month, members of the Elmont High School faculty nominate Students of the Month to increase the recognition of student achievement. These students receive personalized letters from Ms. Scricca and have their photos taken with the principal, which are then displayed proudly in the school's showcase. Student achievement is also recognized by assemblies which publicly acknowledge the accomplishments of students for maintaining strong grades, displaying strong determination for success, and participating in extracurricular activities and sports. Ms. Scricca believes that all students who achieve excellence should be publicly acknowledged for their accomplishments.

Ms. Scricca's admiration of her faculty and staff is also a priority. Just as the students are recognized for their hard work, teachers and staff members are honored for their accomplishments. Teacher of the Month and Staff Member of the Month are also praised for their dedication and service to Elmont Memorial High School. Teachers and staff members of the month are honored in a ceremony and have their pictures displayed in the school showcase.

Elmont Memorial High School is very fortunate to have such an incredible leader as its principal and has been recognized for excellence in schools as well. Redbook awarded Elmont Memorial High School a citation for being the best high school in New York State. Elmont memorial was also recognized as a Blue Ribbon National Secondary School of Excellence. It comes as no surprise that these awards were given to the school under the leadership of Ms. Scricca. Congratulations to Ms. Diane Scricca for her endless devotion and love for Elmont Memorial High School and students. This year's recipient of the Town of Hempstead's Pathfinder Award, Diane Scricca, is truly a woman of substance: a leader, a role model, and a passionate advocate for children.