Way to Go: Grace Anne McKenna of Wantagh
Grace Anne McKenna created five different educational pamphlets to share her knowledge of water safety. Credit: McKenna family
A Wantagh student with a love for swimming recently shared her water-safety knowledge through a series of educational pamphlets.
Grace Anne McKenna, a Wantagh High School junior, created the pamphlets to assist children involved with Long Beach-based nonprofit Surf for All, the Long Beach Junior Lifeguards program, and several local Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops. She also made a pamphlet for her school’s varsity swim and dive teams and crafted a book for Pixie Nursery School in Wantagh.
The effort served as the community service component of her Gold Award, the highest honor that can be earned by a Girl Scout. McKenna is a member of Girl Scout Troop 3088.
“Water has been a big part of my life and I wanted to spread my knowledge,” McKenna, 16, said.
The pamphlets were personalized for each recipient — with the junior lifeguards receiving information on rip currents and the Cub Scouts receiving information on how to earn their Aquanaut Adventure Badge, and so on. Pixie Nursery School’s book, titled “The ABCs of Water Safety and Awareness,” featured different safety concepts for each letter of the alphabet.
In school, McKenna’s involvements include serving as Class of 2019 president, Key Club vice president, and a member of seven honor societies. She is also lifeguard certified, a varsity swim team member, and a USA competitive swimmer.
— MICHAEL R. EBERT
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
