Meet the Islanders Children's Foundation 2025 Scholarship Winners

The New York Islanders awarded $25k in scholarships to five outstanding high school students in the Metro-NY area who have shown exceptional dedication to community service and academic achievement. Read about them below!

Justin Tam - Staten Island Technical High School

Justin Tam is passionate about helping the elderly community any way he can, dedicating countless hours serving meals to the less fortunate, many who are veterans. He empathizes with them by listening and learning from their stories, building meaningful connections with the individuals he serves. When he’s not dedicating time at Encore Community Services or other food kitchens, he’s an impactful and inspirational leader at school, encouraging his peers to make a difference. Tam mobilizes hundreds of students to volunteer at beach cleanups and maintenance projects, while holding several leadership positions at Staten Island Technical High School. He has also produced and delivered presentations on the impact of climate change through internship experiences and science research. Tam is also on the swim team and the track and field team and enjoys playing piano as a hobby. He’s committed to New York University, where he plans to study environmental science.

Arianna Sukhdeo - New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math (NEST+M)

Arianna Sukhdeo immersed herself in the field of medicine throughout high school with an evident passion for community health. Sukhdeo focused on making an impact on improving the lives around her, volunteering at All Medical Urgent Care, where she learned the importance of compassion, empathy and effective communication between medical professionals and patients. Sukhdeo founded a global tutoring initiative to help and engage students with one-on-one and group tutoring sessions. She also participated in the Latin Hispanic Student Union, where she organized events that educates her peers about Hispanic traditions, fostering a sense of pride and understanding. Sukhdeo is planning to study Biology or Neuroscience in college, while joining student organizations focused on public health, diversity, and education.

Abigail Murray - New Hyde Park Memorial High School

Murray aspires to be leader who advocates for opportunities in underserved communities and focused on that goal as she geared up for college. She was accepted into her school's Academy of Finance program, where she got a head start on her career and earned 36 college-level business credits. The program opened doors for her, as she continued to pursue key roles in clubs such as the Red Cross, Sierra Environmental, World Language Spanish Club, and Student Council. Murray participated in cheerleading at the junior varsity and varsity levels through high school and led clinics for elementary school students. Murray is attending University at Buffalo to pursue a degree in Business Administration with concentration in Human Resources and Labor Relations.

Matthew Kusnetz - Syosset High School

Kusnetz had a passion for giving back to the community. At age 12, he founded ‘Growing For Good,' which is a non-profit organization that grows a variety of vegetables for the purpose of donating to local food pantries in his community on Long Island. To date, Kusnetz and his organization donated over 200 pounds of fresh vegetables to local food pantries and will carry out his responsibilities at the organization through college. Kusnetz is also a lifeguard and water safety instructor at his local pool where his multi-year training and certifications prepared him to save a child's life in the water last summer. He served as the Vice President of the National Honor Society at his high school, as well as a member of the Science National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society. His intended college major is chemistry. He volunteered to teach underclassmen in the ACS Chemistry Club.

Chloe Benik - Garden City High School

Representing the United States at an indoor soccer tournament in Barcelona, Spain, inspired her to start coaching, organizing youth clinics, mentoring children, giving back to my community, and raising money to provide worldwide funding for people who cannot afford the necessities needed to play soccer. Benik is the recipient of the Mike Clarke Award and the Newsday Nassau County Player of the Year but she is most proud of being a role model to the little girls in her community. She has volunteered at various food drives in her community, providing meals for the less fortunate and has also created cards for veterans around the holiday season. Benik will attend Cornell University and will play soccer there. Her intended major is Applied Economics and Management.