Two seniors at Wellington C. Mepham High School turned a classroom leadership assignment into real-world change, successfully advocating for new school zone signage on Stewart Avenue to improve traffic safety near the campus.
Jake Wilson, 18, and Brayden Seligman, 17, spearheaded the effort through Pirate for a Purpose, an initiative within the school’s Senior School and Community Leadership class that challenges students to identify community needs and take action.
The pair said they first became concerned about speeding vehicles while parking along the street as students.
“Seeing some students or even parents picking up kids just kind of flying down these roads, I thought it was pretty dangerous,” Seligman said, noting that limited visibility and frequent traffic near dismissal added to the risk.
After discussing the idea with their teacher, the students began researching the issue and reaching out to officials. Wilson said they first consulted school administrators, including principal Anthony DeMartinis, before contacting local representatives and working with Chris Schneider of the Town of Hempstead.
Wilson said Schneider and his staff helped guide them through the process, which included multiple phone calls and attending a town meeting to understand how municipal decisions are made.
“Getting to see how the town meeting works and the people who represent me helped me personally,” Wilson said. “Something that directly impacts me and that Brayden and I thought of — seeing them put that into action was definitely a privilege.”
Their advocacy paid off when multiple school zone signs were installed along Stewart Avenue on Feb. 3, several months after the idea first emerged in the fall. Seligman recalled spotting trucks installing the signs outside their classroom window.
“It was so relieving and just awesome to see that the work we put into it paid off,” he said.
Both students said the experience reinforced the value of persistence and civic engagement. Wilson said it showed him that community members should not hesitate to contact elected officials to pursue improvements, while Seligman noted the importance of continuing outreach even when responses were slow.
DeMartinis said watching the students navigate the process was inspiring.
“I’m incredibly proud to be the principal at a school where students are engaged in the community and want to make it better,” he said, adding that “a passionate young voice can cut through with clarity and can really get things done.”
Social studies teacher Jacqueline Geller, who leads the class, said the project reflects the program’s mission of turning leadership lessons into tangible results.
“Jake and Brayden’s work exemplifies the mission of Pirate for a Purpose: identifying a real-world problem, charting a course forward and seeing the project through with perseverance, leadership and civic responsibility,” she said.
Students and school leaders say the new signage is expected to encourage slower driving and increase awareness for the many buses, student drivers and families who use the corridor each day — a visible reminder, they said, of how student voices can shape their community.
