At the awards reception hosted by Astoria Federal Savings Corporate Headquarters in Lake Success were (l. to r.); Forest Hills H.S. Teacher Frank Giella, Forest Hills H.S. Students Joyce Lin and Megi Brahimaj, Astoria Federal Savings Forest Hills Branch Manager Nana Elisha and Astoria Federal’s First Vice President/Director of Marketing and Public Relations Patricia Gabberty. Brahimaj and Lin each received an award and check for $250, while their teacher was awarded a grant for classroom use.Astoria Federal Savings has announced the 12 winners of its Eighth Annual Teen Photo Contest, open to 13 to 19 year olds. Earlier this year, teens were encouraged to use their cameras and creative approaches to capture the theme, Eye on Style: People, Fashion, and Trends. Photos ranged from stylish portraits that captured people in unique settings to stylized close-up shots. More than 1,700 entries were submitted by students of 85 high schools in Queens, Brooklyn, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester.
Forest Hills H.S. students, Megi Brahimaj and Joyce Lin, were among the winners selected for their impressive photos. Brahimaj’s photo is a portrait of a fashion-forward female friend and Lin’s photo is of a young man posing with his skateboard. Their photos were displayed recently at an awards reception held on June 5 at Astoria Federal’s Lake Success headquarters.
“We received a record number of entries this year and were impressed with the caliber of the photos,” said Astoria Federal Executive Vice President and Managing Director Retail Banking Group Brian Edwards. “Each reflected the theme in unique ways. Clearly there’s a lot of talent out there and we are happy to be able to recognize and reward several of these young artists.”
The annual contest is one of the many ways Astoria Federal is committed to its Education First initiative to promote lifelong learning in the communities it serves.
“Whether we are helping youngsters develop financial literacy or fostering teenagers’ creative expression, we actively support education at every age level,” Edwards said.
The winning photographers each won a $250 cash prize, while their schools benefited with a $100 grant for their art teachers’ classroom use.