BRANCHBURG TOWNSHIP, NJ (Somerset County) – Middle and high school students from Somerset and Hunterdon counties were honored for their achievements at the 33rd Annual Paul Robeson Youth Achievement Awards recently held at Raritan Valley Community College.
The event was sponsored by the College’s Paul Robeson Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Social Justice.
The evening featured a keynote address by Tiana Joy Jackson, a former nominee of the Paul Robeson Youth Achievement Awards. Jackson, a recent graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago, completed both a Bachelor’s of Science in Marketing and a Master’s in Business Administration in four years.
She recently created her own graphic design business, Graphics By T, which focuses on creating posters, logos, business cards, and other related projects. She also has begun working as a substitute teacher in Franklin Township, which offers her the opportunity to give back to her home community. She enjoys speaking to young people, hoping to inspire them and encouraging them to remain true to themselves, reminding them that nothing is outside their reach.
The National Council of Negro Women and RVCC initiated the Paul Robeson Youth Achievement Awards program to pay tribute to the outstanding attainments of students in Somerset and Hunterdon counties. The awards are named in honor of Paul Robeson, a Princeton native who grew up in Somerville and graduated from Somerville High School and Rutgers University.
The awards are given in four areas in which Robeson excelled: Scholarship, the Arts, Community Service and Athletics, as well as special “Renaissance Awards” given to students who excel in a number of disciplines.
The Evelyn Field Visionary Award also was presented at the ceremony. The award pays tribute to the founding member of the RVCC Board of Trustees, who was a dynamic and compassionate advocate for promoting diversity and equality on campus. In 1990 Evelyn Field established the Paul Robeson Youth Achievement Program to preserve Paul Robeson’s legacy as a role model for excellence.
Approximately 100 students were nominated for awards by their school counselors, teachers, and administrators. A special committee of RVCC faculty and staff members selected the award recipients.
The following middle school students received special honors:
Paul Robeson Youth Middle School Art Achievement Award
- Rayanah Litman: Franklin Middle School – Hamilton Street Campus
- Salma Robinson Franklin Middle School – Hamilton Street Campus
Paul Robeson Youth Middle School Athletic Achievement Award
- Nola Bright: Franklin Middle School – Hamilton Street Campus
- Damaso Maddix Munoz Jr.: Franklin Middle School – Hamilton Street Campus
Paul Robeson Youth Middle School Community Service Achievement Award
- Amaya Adams: Somerville Middle School
- Ashley Womack: Hillsborough Middle School
Paul Robeson Youth Middle School Scholarship Achievement Award
- Kerys Snowden: Franklin Middle School – SGS Campus
- Peyton White: Franklin Middle School – SGS Campus
Paul Robeson Youth Middle School Renaissance Award
- Nyla Appiah-Amaning: Hillsborough Middle School
- Evelyn Field Visionary Award – Middle School
- Devyn Reed: North Plainfield Middle School
The following high school students received special honors:
Paul Robeson Youth High School Art Achievement Award
- Tayten Kieffer: Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School
- Da’Nia Matthews: Franklin High School
Paul Robeson Youth High School Athletic Achievement Award
- Joseph Fleming: Immaculata High School
- Rooney Rasare: Hillsborough High School
Paul Robeson Youth High School Community Service Achievement Award
- Isaiah Daniels: Franklin High School
- Alyssa Robinson: Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School
Paul Robeson Youth High School Scholarship Achievement Award
- Maya Mathews: Immaculata High School
- Rosabel Obguja: Franklin High School
Paul Robeson Youth High School Renaissance Award
- Rhodellen Halliday: Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School
Evelyn Field Visionary Award – High School
- Jianna Lydia Seale: Hillsborough High School
The Paul Robeson Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Social Justice was founded in 1999 to preserve Paul Robeson’s legacy in the area where he came of age as an artist, athlete, orator, and scholar. The Institute envisions a global community of diverse cultures that embodies, through attitudes and behaviors, Paul Robeson’s ideals, beliefs, values and vision for a world of justice and peace.
The Paul Robeson Resource Room, located in RVCC’s Evelyn S. Field Library, is an information center for Robeson’s national and worldwide activities. Established in 2003, the Resource Room serves as a repository for educational materials, historical records, and memorabilia of Robeson’s Somerville years and the worldwide accomplishments of people of African-American descent.
