STANDING Brooklyn’s Biggest Booster
These students get an A+ in Stem
COBBLE HILL
Three cheers for pupils in Cobble
Hill’s Digital Art and Cinema Technology
High School, who took home a
big cash prize and were named winners
in Samsung’s national Stem contest,
Solve for Tomorrow. The local students’
project in sexual harassment stood out in
the competition, which included many
innovative ways to address important
community issues by using skills in science,
technology, engineering, and math,
said a bigwig at Samsung.
“The scale and importance of the issues
addressed in this year’s contest refl
ect how students are taking responsibility
for their role as change agents for the
future,” said Ann Woo, senior director
of corporate citizenship, Samsung Electronics
America. “These state winners
and trailblazing teachers and students
are taking action to create tangible solutions
and promote positive change.”
Students in teacher Naomi Barak’s
11th-grade class pitched a wearable device
system that can capture a harassment
incident, including through photography,
location, and description, as
a way to empower victims to stand up
against their harassers.
The students’ work was selected as
the New York State winner from thousands
of projects submitted.
The school took home $20,000 for
its achievement, and the students will
now go on to participate against the
nation’s 50 winners in every state by
creating and submitting a three-minute
video that showcases their project.
Samsung will select 10 national
school fi nalists — the top three will
take home the grand prize of a $100,000
Samsung technology package, and the
other seven will receive a $50,000 Samsung
technology package.
The public will elect one winner out
of the 10 fi nalists to take home an additional
$10,000 prize. — Julianne Cuba
BOROUGH WIDE
Meet the director
A big welcome to Paul V. Stahlin,
the newest member of Northfi eld
Bankcorp and Northfi eld Bank’s
Board of Directors.
John W. Alexander, Chairman of
the Board, commented, “We welcome
Paul Stahlin to the Board, an individual
with deep banking, fi nancial, and
governance experience that enhances
Northfi eld’s leadership and its strong
commitment to our stockholders.”
Steven M. Klein, President and
Chief Executive Offi cer added, “Mr.
Stahlin’s professional background,
combined with his leadership in vital
community organizations, will be an
asset to Northfi eld as we continue to
grow and expand our market share.”
Stahlin currently serves on the
board of Miami International Holdings,
Inc., the parent company of
MIAX Options Exchange. He also
serves as Vice Chairman of the Board
of Robert Wood Johnson University
Hospital, and on the board of RWJ
Barnabas Health, Inc. Stahlin previously
served as the regional president
of Fulton Bank of New Jersey, President
of Skylands Community Bank,
and President and CEO of Somerset
Valley Bank. He also has served as
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
COURIER L 40 IFE, JAN. 11–17, 2019 M B G
Offi cer of Fleet Credit Card
Services and as Chairman of the
Board of the American Institute of
Certifi ed Public Accountants.
PROSPECT LEFFERTS GARDENS
Investing in students
Hip, hip, hooray for SUNY Downstate
Medical Center, which now
has the fi rst-named fellowship established
expressly for students
enrolled in its School of Public
Health — the Lenard and Christine
BOROUGH WIDE
Borough President Adams
honored great Brooklynites for acts
of heroism amid a ceremony at Borough
Hall on Dec. 28.
The beep started out with his heroes
for the month of October, police
offi cers Charles Edwards and Damion
Graham, who saved the life
of a 1-year-old baby, which stopped
breathing aboard a C train Downtown
on Oct. 8.
The patrolmen responding to a
911 call didn’t wait for paramedics
to arrive to immediately begin performing
CPR on the infant, which
ultimately saved the child’s life, according
to Adams.
“Cases like this are proof positive
that these fi rst responders are
often in the best position to be the
life savers we need,” Adams said.
The borough president then
awarded NYPD Deputy Inspector
Joseph Seminara for his help
in rescuing a woman trapped
in a burning car on the Belt
Parkway in Canarsie.
Seminara was coming off a 14-
hour shift as commanding offi cer of
the 23rd Precinct on Nov. 28, when
he spotted a two-vehicle wreck that
had left both cars ablaze, and he
pulled over to offer assistance, ultimately
working with another mysterious
good Samaritan to extract
a woman trapped within one of the
smoldering sedans.
“We are proud and fortunate to
have such devoted heroes among the
ranks of the NYPD,” said Adams.
Finally, Adams honored a Carroll
Gardens non-for-profi t restaurant,
called Emma’s Torch, which
employs refugees and survivors of
human traffi cking as student chefs,
who earn job skills, are provided
English courses, and are aided in
fi nding further employment.
“Emma’s Torch personifi es
what’s great about this country and
what’s great about giving back and
allowing people to fi nd hope and
prosperity in the greatest country
alive,” Adams said. — Colin Mixson
MARINE PARK
Singing her praise
Hats off to Genesis Diaz,
James Madison High School
student and the grand prize winner
of the Altice USA Hispanic
Heritage Month Essay Contest.
Diaz’s essay about Cuban
singer Celia Cruz earned her the
fi rst prize in the contest, and organizers
and local Councilman
Chaim Deutsch (D–Madison)
honored the student with a check
for $1,500 at the school on Jan. 4,
which she said was surprising
and encouraging for her.
“It feels amazing to be the winner.
I was so surprised and emotional
when my teacher told me the
news,” the Cypress Hill resident
said. “People always praise my
writing and potential but I can’t
ever take a compliment. Winning
this contest has confi rmed that
writing truly is my gift and that I
am capable of great things.”
Altice USA launched its annual
essay contest last fall in recognition
of Hispanic Heritage
Month and asked middle and high
school students in its Optimum
and Suddenlink service areas to
“Name a Latino, past or present,
with whom you would choose to
spend a day and explain why.”
Diaz penned her essay on Cruz,
who was one of the most popular
musicians from the island during
the 20th century and rose to even
more prominence in American
exile after the Cuban revolution,
inspiring Diaz to write about her
for her work as an artist and her
infl uence on Latinx culture.
“Her accomplishments were
revolutionary,” Diaz said. “I felt
like writing about her was necessary
to bring recognition not only
to her contributions to Latinx culture,
but our society as well.”
— Kevin Duggan
Szarek Fellowship Fund.
The fund was established by Michael
Szarek, PhD, chair, and professor
of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
“My intention is to recognize students
who have reached a high level
of excellence in their studies, promote
professional development, and foster
leadership among those training for a
career in public health,” said Dr. Szarek.
— Courtney Donahue
REAL HEROES: Borough President Adams awarded Emma’s Torch Culinary Director Alexander
Harris, holding citation left, police offi cers Charles Edwards and Damion Graham,
holding citations middle, and NYPD Deputy Inspector Joseph Seminara, holding
citation right, with “Heroes of the Month” awards on Dec. 28. Photo by Trey Pentecost
Beep honors ‘Heroes of Month’