Stony Brook Medicine recently celebrated the achievements of 77 high school students at the 2025 Health Occupations Partnership for Excellence (HOPE) Program Moving-Up and Graduation Ceremony. The event took place on May 6 at the Bauman Center, honoring 35 graduating seniors and 42 juniors from four partner school districts: Brentwood, Longwood, William Floyd, and Wyandanch.
Among the graduates, seven will attend Stony Brook University this fall with majors in biology, health sciences, chemistry, and biomedical engineering. One student is a Simons STEM Scholar. Other graduates will continue their education at institutions such as Columbia, Barnard, St. John’s, Cornell, and some will join the Army National Guard.
The ceremony was attended by families, teachers, administrators, HOPE program facilitators, and institutional leaders from Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine. Judi Brown Clarke delivered opening remarks encouraging students to pursue careers in health science fields. Sylvia Diaz served as the keynote speaker emphasizing public health's importance.
The HOPE program provides a two-year mentorship opportunity for high school juniors and seniors interested in healthcare careers. Since its start in 2005, it has supported nearly 300 students from underrepresented communities across Long Island.
During the ceremony, graduates shared personal stories through vision boards and six-word memoirs highlighting their aspirations and gratitude. Notable examples included:
“Fell, rose, grew, still reaching higher” — Farah Alzafarani
“Strength in struggle, purpose in service” — Nicholas Nieves
“Their broken English, my fluent future” — Joel Espinoza
The program is managed by the University and Hospital Community Relations Office with coordination support from student assistant Katie Hsu over the past three years. Throughout the 2024-25 school year various departments within Stony Brook University provided presentations and training sessions to participants.
— Kristin Cuomo