Thiele Nominates Two Local High School Seniors For Presidential Scholars Honor

State Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. did not have to think long when it came to nominating three deserving high school seniors from his legislative district, which spans the entire South Fork and extends as far west as Shirley, for the prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

The long-serving assemblyman, who has nominated students the past three years, explained this week that applications submitted by guidance counselors on behalf of Siena Gates, who attends Southampton High School, and Victoria Blydenburgh, who is enrolled at Westhampton Beach High School, easily stood out among their peers.

He pointed out that Siena, who struggled to adapt to high school prior to enrolling in a program aimed at giving her life skills by working with nursery school children, and Victoria, who manages to excel academically while learning to live with an inoperable brain tumor, were the most deserving for the federal honor. Rounding out this year’s field is Steven Shaw, a senior attending the William Floyd School District.

In total, state lawmakers will nominate 450 high school seniors across New York for the honor, though that number will eventually be whittled down to 20—10 young women and 10 young men—when it comes to selecting finalists in the spring. Those finalists will travel to Washington, D.C., in June so they can be recognized for their academic achievements during a ceremony at the White House. The finalists will also get to meet several government officials and receive presidential medallions.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 and recognizes some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating seniors, according to the U.S. Department of Education website. Each year, specific nominees are recognized for their work in career and technical education fields.

“They all not only had a record of achievement scholastically, but they also demonstrated extraordinary character and perseverance,” Mr. Thiele said of his three nominees. “They go above and beyond, and I think that is what makes a special application for this particular award. The ones that we selected, we were all very impressed with the life circumstances and efforts in school they put in. They seem extraordinary.”

While some candidates are nominated based on their academic achievements, or by excelling in extracurricular activities, Siena, 17, has been tapped for her work in the Early Childhood Education program offered through the Eastern Suffolk Board of Cooperative Educational Services, where she gets to help run an actual preschool.

“Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, we have seven to eight kids come and we get assigned different positions,” Siena explained. “It’s really fun. On Mondays and Tuesdays, we do lessons with the teachers.”

Her guidance counselor at Southampton High School, Angela Hughes-Johnson, was instrumental in helping Siena, who initially struggled with her academics, with the BOCES application and, since then, has enjoyed watching her excel in a field that she truly enjoys. The counselor noted that working with children was “something that really resonated with” Siena, explaining that the two of them visited the BOCES nursery school prior to enrolling Siena.

“For her, that was perfect, because she knew that’s where she wanted to finish,” Ms. Hughes-Johnson said. “She knew what the finish line looked like.”

In addition to enjoying her time at BOCES, Siena is doing her part to attend college so she can fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher; her ideal job, she said, would be instructing the youngest of school-age children. She intends to apply to Coastal Carolina, the College of Charleston, UNC Wilmington, the University of Tampa, the University of Rhode Island, and Towson University.

Additionally, she spends her quickly fleeting free time volunteering at the Center for Therapeutic Riding of the East End in Sagaponack, where they offer activities to children, young adults and veterans with disabilities. She also volunteers as a “big sister” to a boy through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island, helping him with his homework and also playing games with him. “It makes me happy to know I’m helping others grow,” Siena said.

That is not to say that things were always easy for her. Ms. Hughes-Johnson explained that Siena had a little bit of trouble adjusting to high school, both socially and academically. With the help of Siena’s parents, Richard and Wilma Gates, Ms. Hughes-Johnson was able to help Siena get back on track so she could succeed both inside and outside of the classroom.

“We were able to explore the issues getting in the way of her success,” Ms. Hughes-Johnson said. “She’s a hard worker and embraces everything about herself.”

Whenever she is not volunteering or studying, Siena likes to hang out with her two brothers, Valin, 19, and Ethan, who is 12, and riding their four-wheelers and dirt bikes in the field behind their Southampton home.

“It’s an honor, and I’m thankful to my counselor for nominating me,” Siena said.

Even though she is only 17, Victoria has already proven—time and time again—that she is a tough cookie.

The Westhampton Beach resident was in the fourth grade when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor affecting her pituitary and hypothalamus glands, parts of the brain that control growth and development, as well as hormone production. Though the tumor, which is also harming her eyesight, cannot be surgically removed, doctors have been constantly monitoring its growth over the past decade, subjecting Victoria to treatments from time to time.

Victoria required chemotherapy during her sophomore year of high school when she was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition where fluid is not draining correctly from the brain. She had to have a shunt installed in her skull to help release the fluid, an operation that led to complications and, as a result, additional medical procedures.

A few months later, tests revealed that the tumor had started growing, forcing Victoria to undergo several rounds of chemotherapy. The treatment forced her to be homeschooled her entire sophomore year, though that did little to hinder her academic success. Though she still has the tumor, and most likely will for her entire life, Victoria was given clean bill of health by her doctors in August 2015, but she must continue to get regular checkups so they can continue to monitor the tumor.

Today, Victoria said she is back on track in terms of her health, and is eagerly pursuing her schoolwork—with the goal of graduating this June. Her next immediate goal is to study psychology at Stony Brook University starting next fall.

“I was completely surprised,” Victoria said, referring to her nomination for the federal honor. “I do not get in trouble ever, so I was a little surprised when they called me and told me. It was a good surprise, I was excited.”

In addition to taking care of her health, Victoria has challenged herself by taking several Advanced Placement and college level courses at Westhampton Beach. She also recently solicited donations, with the help of members of the now-disbanded Girl Scout Troop 759, for Stony Brook University Hospital, where she has received treatment for her tumor. At one point, she collected arts and craft supplies for the pediatric wing of the medical center and, on another occasion, raised money for the Ronald McDonald House apartments adjacent to the hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, where her mother, Michele, stayed during Victoria’s hospital stays.

“I love helping out anyone who needs help,” she said this week.

“She is a rock star,” Westhampton Beach High School Principal Chris Herr said. “She is strong—mentally, physically, emotionally. You bet she is strong.”

Victoria and her three siblings—Alicia, James and Julia—live in Westhampton Beach with their parents, Jim and Michele Blydenburgh.