ARHS Seniors, Staff Honored at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast

At the 29th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast and Awards Ceremony, ARHS seniors Ana Sofia Semedo and Regina East received the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarships, while ARHS staff members Mary Custard and Momodou Sarr were honored with the Norma Jean Anderson Civil Rights and Academic Achievement Award. 

At the awards ceremony, Regina East delivered this address:

I first just want to say thank you, to the MLK committee and the teachers and family that continue to support. With out the MLK committee I would have never had the chance to earn this award. And with out my family, teachers and peers I would not be as strong as I am today.

I believe that I commit strongly to the qualities of Dr. Martin Luther King. Although we do not share a common struggle, I have grown and changed because of my own past. My father died when I was 15, and a year later I was bullied outside of school. I did not let myself break down or become embedded in a dark cloud. Because of my own struggle I decided that I wanted to help others who went through a similar struggle. I took all of my built up emotions to make a change in our youth and community. It took a dark moment in my life to make a change in my community. I had to transform myself and now I’m transforming my peers. But I wont stop there. I plan on being an educational administrator for my career. I believe everyone has the potential to learn. I want to advocate for those students and help make their elementary education a smoother transition into middle school. Change happens to all of us and there is always going to be better opportunities that you have to fight for. My drive and determination led me here, a leader that is seen throughout my high school, I only hope that I can make an even bigger impact throughout this state. 

The Norma Jean Anderson Civil Rights and Academic Achievement Award is presented to a teacher, administrator, or staff member for work in our schools promoting ideals of a just and respectful community built on compassionate relationships; contributions to the on-going work to remove systemic privilege based on race and class; efforts to develop a school system free of racism, classism, prejudice, and discrimination which promotes safety, personal growth and academic achievement for ALL students.

See the letters of nomination for Momodou Sarr and Mary Custard attached below.