Good News: High School Science Stars Score $50k Scholarships

As a local news organization, Patch covers stories of all kinds, from heartbreaking tragedies to nitty-gritty breakdowns of government and school district issues. But some stories are simply inspiring, often showing that at the heart of our communities is a desire to do good. Here are some of the touching headlines from the past seven days.

Comsewogue Pair Surprised With $50K Scholarships

Two Comsewogue High School seniors' hard work has paid off - big time.

On Friday - their last full day of school at Comsewogue - Shilpa Iyer and Shweta Iyer received a surprise announcement that they each won a $50,000 scholarship from Proton OnSite, a green technology solutions company.

The two sisters spent all summer long and many hours after school in 2012 devising a way to use soybeans to extract hydrogen atoms from water and turn them into hydrogen fuel.

130 New Doctors Graduate

Stony Brook University's School of Medicine on Thursday sent 130 new doctors into the healthcare community at its annual graduation ceremony. The doctors took the Hippocratic Oath, representing the 39-year-old School of Medicine's largest class to date.

Mark Kimes, a music teacher at Hauppauge High School, wears two hats: one as a teacher, the other as a captain in the U.S. National Guard.

After the first seven months of working at the High School, Kimes was deployed to serve military. Despite being away for about a year, he said he was welcomed back with open arms when he returned.

Since then, he has been pulled back into his military duties several times. Most recently, the choir teacher was assisting with recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy.

For the board’s encouragement of his military career, he and LTC Christopher Daniels of the U.S. Army Reserve presented its members with the Employer Support for Guard and Reserve Award.

A Smithtown High school west graduate and lacrosse star Rob Pannell kicked off his professional career with the New York Lizards.

Pannell had his Major League Lacrosse debut playing for the Lizards Friday night at Hofstra University against the Charlotte Hounds.

Lana Miller, a St. Anthony's graduate now at Cornell University, was selected for its Merrill Presidential Scholars Program. The program formally and publicly honors Cornell University's most outstanding seniors prior to their graduation and  teachers who played a significant role in their education.

Smoke filled the Grill 454 Wednesday as rookies of the Commack Fire Department fought a mock blaze to get a taste of what fighting an actual fire might be like.   

Before the building is torn down, the department was able to create the feel of real fire in the former restaurant, complete with smoke, darkness and two victims, to help 20 rookie firefighters build their skills on an actual commercial building.

Friends Aim to Raise $50k for Crash Victim

Friends of Lorna Tobin and her fellow yoga students have pulled together over the past two and a half weeks to raise money to help her pay for medical bills and living expenses when she is finally released from the hospital.

On the afternoon of May 20, at the intersection of Cedar Street and Cooper Lane in East Hampton Village, Tobin was involved in a two-vehicle crash and suffered a compound fracture of her ankle and a broken pelvis. The East Hampton Village Ambulance Association took Tobin to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she has had multiple surgeries and remains in recovery.

Frances Jones, who attends yoga classes at Tapovana Ashtanga Healing Center in Sag Harbor with Tobin, is spearheading a fundraising campaign using the web service GiveForward. So far, the campaign has raised $5,000, and the goal is to reach at least $50,000.