Deer Park High School senior Emily Franciscovich recently earned her Girl Scouts Gold Award by spearheading the construction of a memorial garden at the school. The dedication ceremony was attended by Legislator Tom Donnelly, Superintendent James Cummings, Principal Charles Cobb, Associate Principal Dina Pannone, Board of Education President Donna Marie Elliott and Board trustee Jerry D. Jean-Pierre.
The memorial garden honors those who have passed with ties to the Deer Park School District, including two of Franciscovich’s classmates who died last year: Christine Nguyen and Kaitlyn Zanello. The project took almost a year to complete. At the end of last summer, Franciscovich started brainstorming and building a team to work with to bring her vision to life, consisting of school administration, Parent Faculty Club and the Buildings and Grounds Committee.
“The community that is Deer Park is one that I am proud to be a part of for many reasons,” Franciscovich said. “We all come together no matter what the circumstance, and that is one thing Deer Park knows how to do well. I knew Kaitlyn from being in the same graduating class and seeing her throughout our years in the district. My freshman year, I played tennis with Christine and saw her almost every day during our season. I wanted to specifically honor these two girls because I was lucky enough to know them during my time here at the high school, and that is something I will forever be grateful for. The meaning behind this project is to create a positive space to carry on their legacy.”
Franciscovich has been a Girl Scout for 13 years. Only 5.4% of Girl Scouts successfully earn the Gold Award, making it a major achievement. Earlier this school year, Franciscovich – captain of the Deer Park High School tennis team and founder of volunteer group Girls That Give Back – won the News12 Scholar Athlete Award, earning her a $1,000 college scholarship from Bethpage Federal Credit Union, and a Distinguished Youth Award gold medal from the Suffolk County Legislature.
Date Added: 5/31/2023