On May 28, 2025, Supervisor Daniel J. Panico attended an awards ceremony at William Floyd High School to honor a group of students who were named one of four winners in the Long Island Water Quality STEAM Challenge. This annual competition is hosted by the Long Island Regional Planning Council in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. It encourages students to develop creative solutions to reduce nitrogen pollution in local waterways.
The winning team from William Floyd High School included students Alice Chen, Victoria Basharina, Kayla Bundick, Angelina Campos, Rachel Chen, Hiba Farooq, Axel Pesantez, Muhammad Saad, Violet Yau, Steven Lin, and Emirhan Birben. They proposed installing native rain gardens on school grounds. These gardens aim to manage stormwater runoff by filtering nitrogen and other pollutants before they reach local waterways.
“The dedication and ingenuity these students have shown is inspiring,” said Supervisor Panico. “As a William Floyd graduate, this achievement is especially meaningful and I’m proud of these young leaders. Their project tackles an important environmental issue and sets a great example for our community.”
The students will receive a grant to implement their rain garden project on campus areas prone to stormwater accumulation. This initiative promotes green infrastructure and raises awareness about nitrogen pollution — a significant environmental challenge on Long Island.
Supervisor Panico congratulated the students and their advisor Chris Orlando on this recognition and looks forward to seeing their project realized.
