A senior from Great Neck South High School has been recognized through the 2026–27 Long Island Scholar Artist program, sponsored by the Long Island Arts Alliance.  Claire Fico from South High is among 40 honorees from 32 high schools across Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Each year, the Long Island Arts Alliance (LIAA) honors a select group of exceptionally accomplished high school seniors for their outstanding achievements across five disciplines: Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Dance, and Media Arts. Monica is a Scholar Artist Award recipient in Visual Arts, Abigail is a Merit Award recipient in Music, and Claire is a Merit Award recipient in Visual Arts.

Selections are made from a pool of students nominated by Long Island’s public school districts and independent and parochial schools. From these nominees, the selection committee chooses twenty Scholar Artist Award recipients and twenty Merit Award recipients. All honorees receive a scholarship and are celebrated at a formal ceremony in the spring.

The LIAA Scholar Artist program is endorsed by the New York State School Music Association, the New York State Art Teachers Association, the Nassau and Suffolk chapters of the New York State Council of Administrators of Music Education, and the Nassau and Suffolk Art Supervisors Associations