High school student Timothy Getchius was recently honored by the district for his tireless volunteer work with the Self-Advocacy Association of New York, having been named the 2013 Youth Advisor of the Year by the nonprofit organization, which is run by and for people with developmental disabilities.

“Disabled persons come to us, and we try and help them so each and every one knows what self-advocacy is,” explained Getchius. “We make them feel like family.”

Getchius, 17, earlier participated in the annual SANYS statewide conference, “Self-Advocacy: Leading the Transformation,” along with more than 500 attendees including representatives from local agencies, state government and school districts.

“This is a great honor for Deer Park,” said Frank Caliguiri, the district’s assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services. “Timothy is a fine young man and we are proud of his achievement.”