Yorktown High School Senior to Receive Youth Award

Lauren Gorstein, a Yorktown High School student, is among 10 Westchester high school seniors, who have shown exceptional commitment to their local communities. They have been selected as recipients of the Westchester County Youth Board’s 2012 Milly Kibrick Youth Service Awards.

Gorstein will be honored at a dinner Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Davenport Club, 400 Davenport Ave., New Rochelle. The students will receive various gifts and a plaque.

The Milly Kibrick Youth Service Awards are given in memory of Milly Kibrick, a prominent county social worker and youth activist, who dedicated her life to helping underprivileged children. During her career and in retirement, she was the quintessential social worker, social entrepreneur, volunteer and political activist, pursuing social and economic justice for children of all ages.

“Milly selflessly devoted her life to helping underprivileged children and was the driving force in many campaigns for the youth of Westchester County. She made a lasting impact on our community,” Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino said. “The honorees for the 2012 Milly Kibrick Service Awards emulate Milly’s giving spirit. Their work in their communities has touched the lives of many individuals. At a young age they have managed to accomplish great things.”

The aim of the Youth Board’s awards program is to recognize high school seniors of the Class of 2013 who have been involved in building a flourishing, strong and compassionate community through individual efforts and actions.

Gorstein is a member of the National Honor Society, Science Olympiad team, and plays varsity softball. She has participated in the ‘Soupstone,’ Yorktown High School’s art and literary magazine dedicated to showcasing the talented artists and writers attending her school.

Gorstein has volunteered through her family’s work with Guiding Eyes for the Blind and Girl Scouts where she earned her bronze, silver, and gold awards. Her topic for the gold award was to raise awareness about the issues of domestic and teen dating violence. The high school senior combined her passion for softball and the need for this awareness into a project creating her Girl Scout Gold Award, ‘Strikeout Domestic Violence.’

Her 60-project was designed to reach different age groups, have a legacy component, and serve a need in the community. She worked with Ann Ellsworth and Megan McCarthy, from the Putnam/Northern WestchesterWomen’s Resource Center, interviewing them about domestic and teen dating violence, put the interview onto a DVD and gave copies to the health teachers at her high school so they may share it with students.

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