For the past 34 years, in honor of Sojourner Truth, Orange County Community College/SUNY Orange has celebrated its youth by awarding them for their achievements. The college continues to recognize the accomplishments of these deserving students in grades 6 through 12, who have been nominated by their school guidance counselors and principals, for having demonstrated excellence in areas such as athletics, citizenship, creative arts, diversity, English language arts, foreign languages, mathematics, perseverance/effort, sciences, and technology.
The program aims to promote education in a positive manner and to motivate students to consider college as a viable and attainable goal.
This year, 47 students from Pine Bush schools will be among those honored throughout the county. The students will receive a medal and a certificate of recognition from SUNY Orange at a ceremony on Friday, March 8. These students have demonstrated a consistent work ethic, overcame challenges, and persevered through obstacles resulting in a positive outcome.
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 in about 1797 in Hurley, N.Y., Isabella was sold four times before she and her daughter were given their freedom in 1828. She never learned to read or write.
In 1843 she changed her name to Sojourner Truth to reflect her chosen mission of traveling to show people their sins and telling them what is true. She is often cited as one of the most effective and powerful speech-makers of her time.
To learn more about this program, visit SUNY Orange’s Sojourner Truth website at www.sunyorange.edu/stap
Congratulations to all the Pine Bush students receiving this honor!
Pine Bush High School
- Isaac Cruz, Citizenship
- Shaylen Goslar, Athletics
- Madelyn Magsamen, Perseverance/Effort
- Oluomachi Nwakanma, Perseverance/Effort
- Christian Oliveras, Citizenship
- Breanna Omosebi, Sciences
- Elijah Rodriguez, Perseverance/Effort
- Eryka Squash Castellanos, Perseverance/Effort
- Jahesa Stokes, Athletics
- Xiamaya Stuckey, Perseverance/Effort
- Stella Torres Laureano, Citizenship
Circleville Middle School
- Emmanuel Abrokwah, Perseverance/Effort
- Juan Aguirre, Mathematics
- Surya Tej Allam, Mathematics
- Giovanni Alvino, English Language Arts
- Vaughn Kaizer Drake Bautista, Mathematics
- Triston Bernard, English Language Arts
- Ellis Brown, Citizenship
- Alexander Castillo, Mathematics
- Chigozie (Jason) Chukwu, Citizenship
- Reid Chen, Sciences
- Pranom Dey, Foreign Languages
- Melanie Duran, Foreign Languages
- Ivanna Florez-Sepulveda, Mathematics
- Jeremiah Frarnco, Creative Arts
- Makai Garnere, Perseverance/Effort
- Nathan Garnere, Creative Art
- Devin Hernandez, Perseverance/Effort
- Ryan Howard, Perseverance/Effort
- Qua-Melle Huggins-Pelle, Creative Arts
- Leisa Jean-Baptiste, Diversity
- Jenna Johnson, Sciences
- Donjeta Kaba, English Language Arts
- Christy Lin, English Language Arts
- Xue Dan Lin, Citizenship
- Isabella Mendez, Perseverance/Effort
- Giuliana Ortiz, Sciences
- Khadijah Owens, Sciences
- Jana Saleh, Mathematics
- Haeum Shim, Perseverance/Effort
- Cameron Smith, Perseverance/Effort
- Hunter Talleyrand, Perseverance/Effort
- Taashi Thapar, English Language Arts
- Fabian David Torres Laureano, Foreign Languages
- Arianna Torres Reyes, English Language Arts
- Thea Valdez, Creative Arts
- Dakota Wilson, Sciences