Bethpage High School Grad Wins $5K Opioid Awareness Scholarship

BETHPAGE, NY - Kevin Drucker, a 2018 graduate of Bethpage Senior High School, recently won the $5,000 Opioid Awareness Scholarship.

The scholarship was sponsored by Siler & Ingber, LLP in partnership with Rabinowitz Charitable Foundation (RCF).

Opioid deaths have been rising at epidemic proportions for the last two decades. As a result, more people died from an opiate overdose in Nassau and Suffolk counties in 2017 than ever before with Suffolk County leading the state death toll with 600 fatalities last year.

Hundreds of Long Island high school students opened their hearts for a chance to win this scholarship, sharing tragic and triumphant stories of how opioid abuse has affected their lives.

In his essay, Drucker shared his struggles dealing with his estranged father, now deceased, who was addicted to opiates.

Leaving the family in economic disarray, Drucker got a job at Shop Rite to help his mom while continuing to be the captain of his high school varsity hockey team while juggling academics. His goal is to one day start a non-profit that helps those with substance abuse.

“My hardships have allowed me to empathize with others just like my family and I intend to use my struggles to aid me in helping encourage and motivate other victims to preserve through these types of difficult times,” he writes.

He plans to use his scholarship to attend SUNY Buffalo State.

“Kevin’s ability to overcome the challenges of family opioid abuse is inspiring,” Ronald Ingber, partner at Siler & Ingber, LLP said. “His strength and drive to push through childhood adversity makes him a deserving candidate for the Opioid Awareness Scholarship and we look forward to seeing what amazing work he does in the future.”

Photo taken by Donna DeVita

Pictured from left to right: Michelle-Lee Rabinowitz, President of The Rabinowitz Charitable Foundation, Kevin Drucker, Scholarship Recipient and Jeff Siler, Partner at Siler & Ingber