WPHS graduate honored with NYSSBA Tomorrow's Leaders Today Award

A White Plains High School graduate was honored with the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) Tomorrow's Leaders Today Award, which recognizes students whose leadership positively impacts their schools and communities.

Yaniv Dardashti-Weisz and three former Ardsley High School students received the award for their brainchild, "Flavors of Greenburgh," a food festival held near the Hartsdale train station, during their stint at the Greenburgh Supervisor's Office last year.

The award was presented during Monday’s White Plains Board of Education meeting by Trustee Sheryl Brady, who serves as Area 10 director for NYSSBA, representing Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties.  

"The New York State School Boards Association is dedicated to both recognizing and promoting the positive work being done in schools across the state," NYSSBA Executive Director Robert Schneider wrote in a letter to Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca announcing the recognition. 

"There are many examples of student-led acts of leadership that can be found every day in New York public schools,” he wrote.

During the presentation, Ms. Brady explained that NYSSBA believes public education's mission includes developing future leaders and that the award was created to shine a spotlight on students who embody that goal.

"NYSSBA believes it is public education's mission to grow future leaders," said Ms. Brady, who was joined by Rosemary Pitruzzella, Area 10 representative on the NYSSBA Awards Committee and member of the Rockland BOCES Board of Education and the Rockland County School Boards Association.

"So NYSSBA decided to also focus on student leadership, and created Tomorrow's Leaders Today to do just that — to recognize and celebrate acts of leadership that positively impact school districts and BOCES and community culture,” Ms. Brady said.

Yaniv and the Ardsley students earned the recognition for their work as interns in the Greenburgh Town Supervisor's Office last summer. Together, they helped organize the town's first food festival, designed to bring the community together by highlighting the diverse restaurants located along East Hartsdale Avenue.

Reading from the award plaque, Ms. Brady said the recognition was presented to honor "the extraordinary leadership shown through your initiative, to propose, develop and implement the Flavors of Greenburgh Food Festival."

"We recognize your efforts and hope that they serve to inspire other students to bring additional positive change to New York State school districts and communities," the plaque states.

In his letter, Mr. Schneider praised Yaniv's contributions and noted that NYSSBA considers him "worthy of recognition through this program" for helping create "a positive district culture others may admire and emulate."

The award highlights how student leadership can extend beyond the classroom, bringing communities together while providing young people with opportunities to make a meaningful impact through civic engagement and public service.