Sojourner Truth Award honors college-bound achievers

MIDDLETOWN — SUNY Orange will celebrate the achievements of 574 Orange County school students when the college hosts its 27 Sojourner Truth Awards Program at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 10, in the Diana Physical Education Center on the Middletown campus.
The program honors students from grades 6 through 12 who have excelled in areas such as athletics, citizenship, creative arts, diversity, English language arts, foreign languages, perseverance/effort, sciences, and technology. It aims to motivate students from groups traditionally under-represented in the college population to consider college as an attainable goal.
The keynote speaker is Monroe France, associate vice president for Student Affairs and Diversity Initiatives at New York University. He provides leadership to the NYU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Student Center and the NYU Center for Multicultural Education and Programs.
He is also an adjunct faculty member in the NYU Silver School of Social Work and NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Communication. He serves on the OutRight Action International Board of Trustees, is chair of the Diversity Abroad Network’s LGBTQI+ Task Force; and is a faculty member during DAN’s annual Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Institute.
In addition to speeches and the awards ceremony, the evening’s program will feature a presentation of colors by the Middletown High School Junior ROTC and entertainment by local performers Emmanuel Carrisquillo, Jennifer Marie Rodriguez and Andrew Garrison.
Sojourner Truth, for whom the program is named, lived in the mid-Hudson Valley after escaping from slavery. She is hailed as one of the most distinguished and highly regarded women of the 19th century. Born Isabella Bomefree (later spelled Baumfree) in about 1797 in Hurley, N.Y., she was sold four times before she and her daughter were given their freedom in 1828. She spoke low Dutch until she was about 10 years old and never learned to read or write.
In 1843 she changed her name to Sojourner Truth to better reflect her chosen mission of traveling to show people their sins and telling them what is true. She is often referred to as one of the most effective and powerful speech-makers of her time.
Corporate funding for the program and awards ceremony comes from presenting sponsors Orange and Rockland Utilities and O’Connor Davies.
ChesterAmanda Bonilla (Chester Academy Middle School), perseverance/effort
Mia Calderon (Chester Academy High School), perseverance/effort
Marianny Fernandez (high school), perseverance/effort
Janeen Gomez (middle school), perseverance/effort
Brittany Mazzi (middle school), citizenship
Leah Rios (middle school), perseverance/effort
Alexis Rodriguez (high school), perseverance/effort
Skye Rose (high school), perseverance/effort
Tyler Sooknanan (high school), citizenship
Faith St. Arromand (high school), perseverance/effort
Yuxin Sun (high school), mathematics
Kenneth Torres (high school), perseverance/effort
Jonathan Walters (middle school), creative arts
Florida (S.S. Seward)Reed Aguas, perseverance/effort
Ariadna Campos, foreign languages
Justin Chino, foreign languages
Nicole De Los Santos, mathematics
Sophia Goff, sciences
Tyzhana Hicks, sciences
Josely Medina, mathematics
Berenice Moya, foreign languages
Crystal Moya, foreign languages
Alexis Pellegrini, English language arts
Casedy Perez, foreign languages
Ciara Rivera, perseverance/effort
Bryce Thompson, perseverance/effort
Joseph VanDenBurg, citizenship
Elizabeth Wesonga, mathematics
Melanie Zambrano, sciences
GoshenElizabeth Aguilar Delgado (C.J. Hooker Middle School), mathematics
Loraine Aldave (middle school), citizenship
Andrea Amaro (middle school), perseverance/effort
La'Shaun Armstrong (Goshen High School), perseverance/effort
Siddhi Balamurali (high school), foreign languages
Yanet Bautista (middle school), perseverance/effort
Joseph Bonello (middle school), citizenship
Alexis Boris (middle school), perseverance/effort
Kai Bou (middle school), perseverance/effort
Katleen Bricourt (middle school), perseverance/effort
Madilyn Bunzey (middle school), creative arts
Madison Clark (middle school), English language arts
Mia Colangelo (middle school), mathematics
Kathryn Crandall (middle school), creative arts
Jolina Dong (middle school), mathematics
Jadel Estiverne (middle school), diversity
Malasia Fields (high school), citizenship
Axel Fierros Calle (middle school), citizenship
Ofir Fogelman (middle school), perseverance/effort
Gianna Gallo (middle school), mathematics
Zaima Garrido Munoz (middle school), citizenship
Michelle Gukhman (middle school), mathematics
Korey Hawkins (high school), athletics
Sonia Hernandez (middle school), sciences
Vivian Hernandez (middle school), citizenship
Kayana Irby (high school), creative arts
Mendel Jeanty (high school), citizenship
Dream Kemp (high school), sciences
Zoe Kyrou (middle school), mathematics
Manuel Lara (middle school), perseverance/effort
Grace Leva (middle school), perseverance/effort
Charissa Logan (middle school), perseverance/effort
Elijah Lopez (middle school), mathematics
Ana Loter (middle school), mathematics
Raquel Martinez (middle school), citizenship
Angel Melendez-Nunez (middle school), mathematics
Gregory Molina (middle school), mathematics
Meredith Molinaro (middle school), perseverance/effort
Brandon Morales (high school), creative arts
Tiffany Pabon (high school), perseverance/effort
Ysabela Paneto (middle school), mathematics
Brianna Penrod (high school), perseverance/effort
Julisa Posada (middle school), mathematics
Naima Puertas (middle school), English language arts
James Rodriguez (middle school), citizenship
Javier Rodriguez (middle school), English language arts
Zemedkun Rodriguez (middle school), diversity
Yadiliz Salcedo (middle school), perseverance/effort
Brianna Sanchez (middle school), citizenship
Daniella Scanlon (middle school), English language arts
Ekamjot Singh (middle school), citizenship
Ayana Suqui (middle school), mathematics
Omar Tapia (high school), English language arts
Ivan Torres (high school), athletics
Aissa Toure (middle school), perseverance/effort
Jannah Uppal (middle school), perseverance/effort
Aliana Vanichpong-Barbosa (middle school), mathematics
Melanie Vazquez (high school), mathematics
Javier Vidals (high school), perseverance/effort
Yesica Vidals (high school), perseverance/effort
Maria Vidals Pita (middle school), perseverance/effort
Tommy Vo (middle school), mathematics
Greenwood LakeJackson Dunkin (Greenwood Lake Middle School), English language arts
Highland Falls - Fort Montgomery Central School District
Rael Beauchard (Highland Falls Intermediate School), creative arts
Jonas Dabkowski (James I. ONeill High School), technology
Tyrese Davis (high school), perseverance/effort
Malik Jackson (Intermediate school), perseverance/effort
Tomas Jimenez-Pena (Intermediate school), athletics
Katherine Lebron (Intermediate school), sciences
Ashley Ordonez (Intermediate school), English language arts
Yasmin Rivera (Intermediate school), perseverance/effort
Janne Rowan (high school), perseverance/effort
Antonella Rufasto (Intermediate school), mathematics
Jennifer Valenzuela (high school), perseverance/effort
Ruby Valladares (Intermediate school), technology
Amber Wojciechowski (Intermediate school), citizenship
Monroe-WoodburySerena Abuirshid (Monroe-Woodbury High School), English language arts
Ahmad Abuirshid (Monroe-Woodbury Middle School), sciences
Angelina Acosta (high school), English language arts
Camron David Adams (middle school), sciences
Nicol Alejo Gomez (high school), creative arts
Jade Andrew (middle school), perseverance/effort
Darwin Benavides (middle school), perseverance/effort
Tori Bennett (middle school), perseverance/effort
Monique Bindler (high school), perseverance/effort
Benedict Brafi (high school), perseverance/effort
Janice Caguana (middle school), perseverance/effort
Miranda Caleigh (high school), English language arts
Angelis Carrero (high school), English language arts
Grace Celaya (middle school), perseverance/effort
Grace Cruz-Allegro (high school), creative arts
Daphne Davila (middle school), perseverance/effort
Adriana Diaz (middle school), English language arts
Kayla Felix (middle school), mathematics
Rey Flores (high school), English language arts
Naya Flores (middle school), English language arts
Adailton Flores Mendoza (middle school), perseverance/effort
Kaitlin Flores Toribio (middle school), perseverance/effort
Zachary Friedman (middle school), mathematics
Erika Gordiano (high school), English language arts
Imanol Hernandez (middle school), mathematics
Alexis Jeanty (high school), English language arts
Andrew Jemison (high school), athletics
Christelle Jiminez DeLaleu (middle school), perseverance/effort
Stephanie Kwong (middle school), mathematics
Omar Lawrence (middle school), perseverance/effort
Mathew Morales (high school), athletics
Sofia Morales (middle school), citizenship
Angelica Padilla (high school), perseverance/effort
Jaimie Polanco (high school), creative arts
Justin Quinones (middle school), English language arts
Cesar Ramos Bazan (middle school), sciences
Brenda Rodriguez Torres (high school), English language arts
Raely Rodriquez (middle school), perseverance/effort
Adam Roman (high school), English language arts
Natalia Romero (middle school), citizenship
Geraldine Romero Martinez (middle school), perseverance/effort
Chloe Saldanha (middle school), citizenship
Camila Sanchez (middle school), perseverance/effort
Misael Soto (middle school), citizenship
Nicolena Vega (high school), English language arts
Rylee Velez (high school), English language arts
Lizabeth Verdejo Hernandez (high school), perseverance/effort
Rachel Wassef (middle school), citizenship
Orange-Ulster BOCESAngelica Cruz, perseverance/effort
WarwickKalira Bell (Warwick Valley High School), perseverance/effort
Vince Britton (high school), citizenship
Daipaul Brown (high school), perseverance/effort
Samantha Buckley (Warwick Valley Middle School), creative arts
Ikonii Chiabi (high school), citizenship
Deiedre Dunkin (high school), perseverance/effort
Ana Garcia (high school), perseverance/effort
Austin Hays (high school), citizenship
Demi Herasme (high school), citizenship
Bella Jardine (high school), citizenship
Kristian Manzano (high school), diversity
Griffin McCarthy (middle school), perseverance/effort
Alejandro Morales (high school), perseverance/effort
Jose Chuy Ojeda Zambrano (high school), perseverance/effort
Destiny Reyes (high school), perseverance/effort
Shefa Rizvi (high school), citizenship
Tabatha Robledo (high school), perseverance/effort
Matthew Santiago (high school), citizenship
Olivia Sicherman (high school), creative arts
Jia Sun (middle school), perseverance/effort
Austin Taylor (high school), perseverance/effort
Julia Vargas (high school), perseverance/effort
Nicela Vega-Knowles (middle school), English language arts
Lian Walker (middle school), citizenship