NYAW Announces Scholarship Award to Wantagh HS Student

Wantagh, N.Y. (September 9, 2020) - Through its partnership with the New York Chapter of the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC-NY), New York American Water recently awarded Athena Yao of Wantagh High School a $3,000 scholarship. This marks the ninth consecutive year that New York American Water has offered scholarships to high school students within its service area to pursue higher education in a field that can make a difference in the water industry.

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Athena on all of her achievements, both in and outside of the classroom,” said Lynda DiMenna, President of New York American Water. “Athena is more than deserving of this scholarship and we hope she continues to strive for excellence as she continues her educational and career pursuits.”

Athena graduated from Wantagh High School this past June and is one of seven award recipients throughout the New York American Water Service Area this year. She will be attending Duke University this fall and will be majoring in Neuroscience.

While a student at Wantagh High School, Athena excelled in her academics and was involved in many different programs both on and off campus. Athena was a Junior Academy Member of the New York Academy of Science since 2018 and team captain of Wantagh High School’s Science Olympiad. She also served as the Director of Art for Girl Genius Magazine as well as being a co-founder of the Wantagh Minds Matter Club. Athena also interned at medical institutions in the summer and served as a peer tutor.

New York American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water company in New York, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 350,000 people.

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit nyamwater.com and follow New York American Water on Facebook and Twitter.