(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory recently issued a proclamation honoring Mechala Stewart, a 2015 graduate of Wyandanch Memorial High School, for her selection as the first winner of the John C. Carter Scholarship.
Sponsored by the Suffolk County Police Athletic League (PAL), the scholarship was created this year to honor the legacy of John C. Carter, Sr. one of Suffolk County’s first African-American police officers. A graduate of Wyandanch High School and a boxing coach for the PAL, Carter recruited at-risk Wyandanch youth to box with him at the PAL facility in Brentwood.
Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory presents Mechala Stewart, center, of Wyandanch with a proclamation for her selection as the winner of the John C. Carter Scholarship, sponsored by the Police Athletic League. She was joined by her mother, Pauline Campbell. Photo Credit: Suffolk County.
“As a police officer, John Carter fought crime, but as a mentor, he worked to prevent it,” said Presiding Officer Gregory. “His legacy lives on through this scholarship, which will help this outstanding young woman attend college.”
“John Carter was not only a dedicated police officer, but also a devoted mentor to countless at-risk teenagers,” said Detective Lieutenant Bob Donohue of the PAL. “We are honored to offer this scholarship to Mechala, whose application for this award demonstrated both great promise and great achievement.”
Stewart will apply the $500 scholarship toward her tuition at Farmingdale State College, where she plans to enroll in January to study nursing.
“I’m grateful for this scholarship, as it will help me become a nurse,” she said. “I want to help people, and nursing seems like a good medium through which to do that.”
According to Donohue, the PAL plans to continue offering the scholarship in future years.
