A group of distinguished high school students and their guests heard a message titled, “Believe, Succeed, Dream,” during the annual African American High School Achievement Awards Ceremony and Reception, held Feb. 25 in the impressive new Student Achievement Center on the Westmoreland County Community College Youngwood campus.
Guest speaker Adriel A. Hilton, Seton Hill University dean of students and diversity officer, spoke about a group of noteworthy African Americans with Pennsylvania ties, whose names are not necessarily well-known but who nevertheless “believed in themselves and worked hard to achieve their dreams.”
Hilton’s Pennsylvania pantheon included Civil War veteran Ephraim Slaughter, singer Marian Anderson and photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris, among others.
Hilton was introduced by Carlotta Paige, a member of the Westmoreland Black Awareness Committee and co-founder of the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition.
Students were nominated by their school counselors for honors in academics, athletics, community service and performing arts. Honorees included:
• Greater Latrobe: Emilee Mottle and Zachary Carroll
• Greensburg Salem: Kaley Lazere, Shaleena Garner, Jalen Page, Zachary Galdo and Wade Spruill-McCoy
• Hempfield Area: Makayla Harr, Alexis Tshibaka and Banner Reed
• Jeannette: Jada Bass, Imani Sanders and Daizha Kozinko
• Kiski Area: Mason Clayton
• Monessen: Daija Grogan, Dawayne Howell and Rayna Winston
• Mt. Pleasant: Niesha Patton and Elijah Wilson
• Mt. Pleasant/Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center: Jasmine Nicklow
• Norwin: Nia Armstrong and Genesis Nelson
• Norwin/CWCTC: Kiaura Vargo
• Valley: Hanna Clarke, Vaun Ross, Ayame Hayden and Adam Richardson.
