At a ceremony held on March 8 at the SUNY Orange Middletown campus, 14 Monroe-Woodbury High School students and 28 Monroe-Woodbury Middle Schools students were honored as recipients of SUNY Orange’s 2024 Sojourner Truth Awards
The college’s Sojourner Truth Awards Program honors students who have been nominated by school guidance counselors and principals for having demonstrated excellence in areas such as athletics, citizenship, creative arts, diversity, English language arts, foreign languages, perseverance/effort, sciences, and technology. In place for 34 years, the program aims to promote education in a positive manner and to motivate students to consider college as a viable and attainable goal.
Born around 1797 in Hurley, N.Y., she was named Isabella Bomefree. She was sold several times before being given her freedom in 1828, along with her daughter. She lived in the mid-Hudson Valley after escaping slavery. In 1843, she changed her name to Sojourner Truth to reflect a literal tie to her mission of traveling to show people their sins and tell them what is true.
This awards program recognizes the achievements of deserving Orange County youth who meet the following criteria:
Athletics - Possessing natural and trained aptitude for excellence in competitive sports, while exhibiting sportsmanship, team spirit, and grace in victory and defeat and/or demonstrate achievements in physical education classes and extra curricular activities.
Citizenship - Exhibiting continuous courtesy, thoughtfulness, and service to others, obvious both in and out of the school environment.
Creative Arts - Talent and obvious achievement in drama, speech, dance, theatre production, music, painting, sculpture, design, graphics, visual arts and extra curricular programs.
Diversity - Demonstrates acceptance and respect of individual differences and cultural traditions.
English Language Arts - Skilled in reading, writing, reading comprehension, poetry, creative writing, school newspaper, exceptional written and spoken vocabulary.
Foreign Languages - Achievement in a language other than English for communication that exhibits cross-cultural skills and understanding.
Mathematics - High achievement in logical thinking, mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry processes and concepts, numbers-their forms, arrangements, sets, relationships, and properties.
Perseverance/Effort - Demonstrating achievement by overcoming obstacles. Showing a willingness to extend high levels of effort and resolve in the face of adversity.
Sciences - Exceptional ability in the observation, identification, description, and investigation of natural phenomena. Success in methodical experimentation, recording, and explanation.
Technology - Achievements in computer and technology classes and extracurricular programs.
At this year’s Sojourner Truth Awards Program, the following MWHS and MWMS students were recognized for their accomplishments:
Monroe-Woodbury High School
Zion Barnes - English Language Arts
Rikayla Bingham - Athletics
Yvonnemae Campbell - Athletics
Emely Carranza - Perseverance/Effort
Emeline Clark - Athletics
Nia Clay - Athletics
Nathaniel Coulanges - Athletics
Emely Flores - Perseverance/Effort
Amaya Grant - Athletics
Sophie Marseille - Citizenship
Jankarlos Mendoza - Athletics
Aimee Meza - English Language Arts
America Rios Rosas - Perseverance/Effort
Alex Sanchez Sanchez - Perseverance/Effort
Monroe-Woodbury Middle School
Victoria Alegria - English Language Arts
Anastasiya Baccas - Citizenship
Francia Banegas Diaz - English Language Arts
Angela Castillo Zepeda - Perseverance/Effort
Diana Diletchuk - Perseverance/Effort
Kayla Dixon - Mathematics
Johnathan Franceour - English Language Arts
Matthew Fuentes -DeGeorge - Mathematics
Junior Gonzalez Amaya - Perseverance/Effort
Fernanda Hernandez Martinez - Citizenship
Nirvens Jean-Baptiste - Sciences
Destiny John - Mathematics
Abraham Julmiste - Perseverance/Effort
Crystal Lopez-Galicia - Sciences
Taven Luzincourt - Perseverance/Effort
Hailey Martinez - Perseverance/Effort
Damaris Miranda Duarte - Perseverance/Effort
Roxana Nolasco Hernandez - Perseverance/Effort
Nana Yaa Ofori - Perseverance/Effort
Nia Paksashvili - Perseverance/Effort
Jennely Peralta Nolasco - Perseverance/Effort
Kourtney Pierre - Perseverance/Effort
Karen Pineda Ruiz - Sciences
Alan Ramirez - Perseverance/Effort
Josbelin Rodriguez Pavon - Perseverance/Effort
Kaira Samuel - Citizenship
Alex Sanchez Delcid - Perseverance/Effort
Jorge Veloz - Citizenship
Best wishes to this year’s recipients!