28 students receive Sojourner Truth Awards from SUNY Orange

This week, 28 students at WVMS and WVHS were honored as part of the 32nd Annual Sojourner Truth Awards from SUNY Orange.

The award honors Isabella Baumfree, known as Sojourner Truth, an American abolitionist and women’s rights activist who was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York. She escaped to freedom in 1826 with her infant daughter, and then went to court to recover her son in 1828. She became the first Black woman to win such a legal case against a white man.

SUNY Orange celebrates area youth by awarding them for their achievements, recognizing the accomplishments of deserving students in grades six through 12. The award encourages college attendance as an option for students from groups traditionally under-represented in the collegiate population. Warwick Valley students were nominated for the award by teachers, guidance counselors, and other school personnel, in various aspects of school life, academic and arts study.

Each student received Certificates of Recognition and medals from SUNY Orange. Here is a list of this year’s winners, followed by a photo gallery of images from the two awards ceremonies – one held Monday at WVHS, and one held on Thursday at WVMS.

Congratulations to all of our recipients.

Warwick Valley High School:
Luke Accardo, Mathematics
Kayla Amato, Perseverance/Effort
Gabriel Badillo, Mathematics
Cassidy Barrios, Perseverance/Effort
Maya Beiling, Creative Arts
Evangalina Colon, Creative Arts
Holly Frischknecht, Foreign Languages
Taylor Alana Jones, Perseverance/Effort
Elizabeth Ladouceur, Creative Arts
Kaiden Molina, Creative Arts
Sean Moroney, Foreign Languages
Liam Nott, Sciences
Jocelyn Sanchez, Creative Arts
Dominic Sirico, Perseverance/Effort
Stefanie Sommer, Creative Arts
Yahir Valero, Perseverance/Effort
Jaid Wazihullah, Perseverance/Effort
Kelly Wendt, Foreign Languages
Chance Wilson-James, Perseverance/Effort & Citizenship
Salvatore Zeffiro, Perseverance/Effort

Warwick Valley Middle School:
Matthew Abel, Citizenship
Jenna Alicea, Perseverance/Effort
Naveen Anthey, Perseverance/Effort
Ashlyn Brown, Foreign Languages
Kristina Correa, Perseverance/Effort
Bianka Grzesik, , Perseverance/Effort
Ezequiel Torres, Perseverance/Effort
Hermia Yang, Foreign Languages