Each year, John L. Miller-Great Neck North High School and William A. Shine-Great Neck South High School announce the winners of significant graduation awards. The Barstow Awards are presented to graduating seniors at both high schools. The Scott Moss Award is presented at South High, while the Gleitsman and Taney Awards are presented at North High. A look at these awards, and their recipients, follows.
Barstow Awards
The coveted Frederic Duclos Barstow Award was established in 1962 by Françoise and William Barstow in memory of their only son who died of pneumonia at age 35. The Barstows were prominent Great Neck residents after whom Barstow Road is named. The Barstow Award is given annually to two students at each high school. Recipients of must be in the top 10 percent of their class and be “outstanding in leadership, citizenship, scholarship, and service.” Each recipient receives a monetary prize.
This year, the Barstow Award winners are the Valedictorian and Salutatorian of each high school: Isaac Xu and Johnathan Ahdout at North High, and Ruiqi Liu and Laura Zhang at South High. These students were featured previously in an article about the Class of 2025 Valedictorians and Salutatorians.
Scott Moss Memorial Award
The Scott Moss Award was established in 1977, in memory of Scott, who was an outstanding South High student until his death from cancer. The award is given to the graduating senior who exemplifies the “service, concern, interest, and ability of Scott Moss.” The recipient of the Scott D. Moss Memorial Award, given at South High School, is Yuzhen Lin.
Yuzhen Lin is an AP Scholar with Distinction and a Presidential Volunteer Service Gold Award recipient. She was a member of the Key Club, Girls Who Engineer Club, and Environmental Club. She was also a four-year varsity athlete on the South High Girls Badminton Team, which won multiple Nassau County and Long Island Championships during her high school career. Passionate about fighting climate change and hunger, Yuzhen volunteers with ReWild Long Island, an organization dedicated to protecting the environment and reducing food insecurity. She also conducted research on local ecosystems through a Field Biology Internship at Alley Pond Park. Yuzhen will attend Rice University.
Gleitsman Award
The late Alan Gleitsman, a 1947 graduate of then Great Neck High School, established the Alan L. Gleitsman Outstanding Graduate Award in 1988 to be given annually to a North High School graduating senior. Gleitsman winners must place within the top 10 percent of their graduating class, uphold a high level of quality involvement in student activities, be dedicated to the school and the well-being of fellow students, and have a commitment to pursue further education on the college level. Johnathan Ahdout is the winner of the 2025 Gleitsman Award. Johnathan, who is also the North High Salutatorian, is featured in an article about the Class of 2025 Valedictorians and Salutatorians.
Taney Memorial Award
Genelle B. Taney was a 2003 North High graduate who died at age 19, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Genelle was the 2003 Gleitsman Award recipient and is remembered for her “unsurpassed love of knowledge, a dedication to the arts, a passion for athletics, and an endless commitment to the betterment of her school and her fellow classmates.” The Taney Award recipient should possess a combination of these qualities. The Award is based solely on merit. One quarter of the Award must be contributed by the recipient to a charity of his/her choice, subject to the approval of the Award trustees. The Award was established in Genelle’s memory in 2006. Aybriel Schnatz is the winner of the 2025 Taney Award.
Aybriel Schnatz is an AP Scholar with Honor. She served as Co-President of the Aid Our Troops Club, Co-President of the A Cappella Club, Co-President of the Animal Rights Club, Vice President of the Athletic Leadership Club, Managing Editor for the school newspaper, a Peer Leader, and a member of the Chamber Choir. She was a four-year varsity athlete for the North High Girls Fencing Team, serving as Captain during her junior and senior years. Aybriel’s community service activities include serving on the Great Neck parades committee, working with the Guide Dog Foundation, and volunteering at Adventures in Learning, an afterschool program at one of the district’s elementary schools. Aybriel will attend the U.S. Naval Academy.