Thursday, October 1, 2026
A team of ninth-grade students from Sacred Heart Academy – including one from Rockville Centre – earned first place at Northwell Health’s Annual Medical Marvels Public Health Competition at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, marking the best finish the school has achieved in the event.
The five girls, Vivien Squadrito from Atlantic Beach; Hailey Coyle from Rockville Centre; Kylie Gorman from Long Beach; Madeleine Maier from Glen Cove and Nora Mac Conaonaigh from Manhasset were part of the academy’s science research program.
They impressed judges with a research paper addressing gun safety in schools, focusing on prevention strategies that include mental health support, communication and safety measures at home and in school.
“The papers had already been judged, so they had already won something before they even got there,” said Stephen Sullivan, Sacred Heart Academy’s research director. “The presentation didn’t affect their paper grade.”
Students were given just three minutes to present their research to judges, followed by questions. Although the team had prepared extensively, they were unsure how their presentation compared with others.
“They thought they didn’t do that well,” Sullivan said. “If they had thought they were the absolute best, I probably would have been confused.”
The team’s research focused on identifying the most critical components of gun safety and prevention. After reviewing scientific studies and data, the students developed a framework that emphasized mental health awareness, communication, prevention at home and preparedness in schools.
“We talked about what the most important aspects of gun safety were,” Squadrito said. “We focused on mental health, communication, preventing it at home and what to do if something actually happens.”
Throughout the project, students learned how to analyze academic research and properly cite sources using professional standards.
“It was definitely challenging at first,” Squadrito added. “But we learned how to read scientific articles and use APA citations, and it helped us improve our writing.”
Gorman said the collaborative nature of the research made the experience especially rewarding.
“It’s really helpful to have a group that works well together,” she said. “A lot of science is about working with other people.”
Coyle said they worked on the four most important steps and what they thought was to be fit.
“We created an acronym based on them,” Coyle said. “It starts more with the root of the problem, which is mental health.”
Six awards were ultimately presented at the competition. Sullivan said he believed the Sacred Heart team had produced a strong paper and expected them to place among the top finishers.
When the winning team was announced, the students were stunned.
“They had kind of checked out at that point and weren’t even paying attention,” Sullivan said. “When they heard their name, the five girls were shocked. They were shouting with joy.”
Now in his eighth year at Sacred Heart Academy after a 31-year teaching career at Lawrence High School, Sullivan said working with the academy’s research students has been deeply rewarding.
“This is my retirement job, and I’m here because of the girls,” he said. “I get to teach the smartest girls in the school, and I love it. It’s awesome — nothing to complain about.
