High school student Matthew Antoine Kennedy was recognized by Suffolk County’s 2016 Summer Youth Awards as a role model for his peers. He earned this distinction as a result of his outstanding work with the county’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs this past summer.

Kennedy was honored by county officials at a recognition celebration held on Sept. 14 at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge, accompanied by Mary Reynolds, Deer Park’s administrator of human resources; teacher and summer school supervisor Phyllis Senia; and special education teacher David DePrima.

Additionally, Kennedy was presented with a certificate for his achievement at the Deer Park Board of Education’s business meeting on Sept. 27.