Despite the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on local businesses, Gershow Recycling continued to provide financial assistance to graduating high school seniors from Long Island and the New York metropolitan area with its Environmental Conservation Scholarship. Now in its 12th year, this one-time, $1,000 scholarship is given to a student who intends to continue their studies in either engineering or environmental science after graduation.

Most high schools also had to adapt to the pandemic as they transitioned to virtual scholarship ceremonies. This allowed local Gershow managers to record congratulatory messages for the recipients that could be viewed online.

This year’s recipients were Audrey Barry (Bellport High School), Nolan Kata (Bay Shore High School), Aden Hunter (Lindenhurst High School), Byanca Caetano-Soares (Patchogue-Medford High School), Brandon Thomas (Valley Stream Central High School), Jaden McAleese (Freeport High School), Subhana Zafar (Walt Whitman High School), Mary Tsahas (Herricks High School), Leyal Hamdan (Longwood High School), Kylie Plitt (Riverhead High School), and Clenio Correia (Frederick Douglass Academy VII High School).

For the second year in a row, Gershow partnered with the Medford Chamber of Commerce to present the Gershow Recycling/Medford Chamber of Commerce Scholarship. This year’s recipient was Adrian Rutkowski of Patchogue-Medford High School. This one-time award in the amount of $1,000 is presented to a Patchogue-Medford High School student who intends to continue studying environmental science, recycling or business.

Gershow has nine locations in Brooklyn, New Hyde Park, Valley Stream, Freeport, Lindenhurst, Huntington Station, Bay Shore, Medford and Riverhead. For more information, call (631) 289-6188 or visit www.gershow.com.