Way to Go: Emily Pashinsky, East Setauket

An East Setauket student's essay on the local impact of immigration took the top spot in an annual contest coordinated by Hofstra University's National Center for Suburban Studies.

Emily Pashinsky, a sophomore at Ward Melville High School, won a $3,000 college scholarship for taking first place in the "Celebration of Suburban Diversity" 2014 Student Essay Contest.

Her three-page essay described the various positive impacts -- from economic to cultural -- that immigration has had on Long Island.

"To me, immigration is much more than taking up a permanent residence; it's about acceptance, knowledge, and becoming unified," Pashinsky, 15, wrote in her essay. Of winning, she said: "It's very important to me and means a lot. It's motivational."

She was recognized at an awards banquet this month at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.

Essays were reviewed by a panel of judges and evaluated based on their content, creativity and organization. The contest was sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union.

Pashinsky is a member of her school's National Junior Honor Society, Foreign Language Junior Honor Society and Ceramics Club.