ESU to Recognize Award Winners at 19th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast

Posted by: admin on December 23, 2015, No Comments

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania selected the winners for the 2016 Boddie Scholarship, Martin Luther King Jr. awards, and the Julianna V. Bolt Art Contest. The winners will be recognized at the 19th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Breakfast, which will be held on January 18 in the Mattioli Recreation Center on ESU’s campus from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Boddie Scholarship Recipients

The Gertrude Mary Smith Boddie Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to undergraduate students of color at ESU. In 1904 Ms. Boddie was the first African-American student to graduate from what was then known as East Stroudsburg State Normal School and ultimately became East Stroudsburg University in 1983.The students who apply for this scholarship are asked to describe, in essay form, their commitment to social justice through community and university involvement.

The Gertrude Mary Smith Boddie Scholarship recipients are Janet Sue Jin Ro, a junior majoring in nursing from East Stroudsburg, Pa., Layla Irby, a sophomore majoring in hotel restaurant and tourism management (HRTM) and Spanish from Bethlehem, Pa., and Shaneequah Saraiyah Monique Zigler, a junior majoring in social work from Newark, N.J.

The three students are all involved at the university and in the local community. Ro is a member of the Student Senate, Student Faculty Conduct Board, Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity, Orientation and New Student Programs, Student Nurses Association and the Campus Activities Board. Throughout her life, she relied on hard work to reach her goals. “I learned that if you work hard in silence, your success will make the noise,” she said.

Like Ro, Irby enjoys being involved at ESU. She is a member of National Society for Minorities in Hospitality, HRTM Club, and Orientation and New Student Programs. She aspires to study higher education at graduate school post her graduation from ESU. Through hard work, Irby knows she can reach her goal.

Zigler knows what it’s like to work hard and overcome adversity. Growing up in an underprivileged area of Newark, N.J., she witnessed the untimely deaths of family members and friends. Zigler wants to dedicate her life to helping others. She believes a career in social work is the avenue that can help her make a difference.

The three students will each receive a $2,530 scholarship award for the spring 2016 semester.

Martin Luther King Jr. Award Recipients

The MLK award recipients exemplify characteristics of Dr. King’s philosophy of non-violence, equality, justice, cultural diversity and respect for humanity. Awards will be presented to one student, one faculty member, one staff member and one member of the local community.

Drew Johnson, a senior majoring in communication studies from Philadelphia, Pa., will receive the University Student Award. Johnson will complete his undergraduate degree in the spring of 2016. During his tenure he has served in various leadership roles on campus. Johnson takes most pride in having served as the president of Student Senate and as chair of the Student Activity Association Board of Directors for two consecutive years.

Like Johnson, University Faculty Award recipient Alberto Cardelle, Ph.D., spent a lot of his time on ESU’s campus. Cardelle, dean of the College of Health Sciences, came to ESU in 1999. He is co-founder of the Institute for Public Health Research and Innovation. Dr. Cardelle currently serves on the Board of the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley, the governing council for the American Public Health Association, the Pennsylvania Advisory Board of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the Community Connections Board for Pocono Medical Center and the advisory board of Leadership Pocono.

The University Staff Award recipient, Sharone Glasco, director of workforce development at ESU, administers training grants to Pennsylvania-based businesses to develop their new and existing workforce, increase skillsets and improve efficiencies that allow them to remain competitive in a global economy.  She launched ESU’s first computerized testing center, which offers exams for professional licensure and certifications across multiple industries.  Glasco is also the president of the Greater Pocono Section of the National Council of Negro Women Inc., a 501c (3) non-profit organization.

Sharon Laverdure is the recipient of the Community Member Award. Laverdure, who is the East Stroudsburg Area School District superintendent of schools, has spent most of her career empowering students. She has overcome financial struggles and used her network in the community to allow underprivileged students several opportunities, including the Committee for Teaching about the United Nations (CTAUN). Michael Healey, teacher at East Stroudsburg South High School, said because of Laverdure’s support students in the Monroe County area have become change makers in the community.

Julianna V. Bolt Art Contest

There were 60 entries to the Julianna V. Bolt art contest this year. Kirsten McCorquodale from Stroudsburg High School won first place, Ellis Rowland from Stroudsburg High School earned second place and Rachel Bezenyon from Pleasant Valley High School was awarded third place.

Reserve a Space Today

Reservations are now being accepted for the breakfast at a cost of $40 for faculty, staff and community members and $15 for students, with proceeds to benefit the Gertrude Mary Smith Boddie Scholarship Fund. Joetta Clark Diggs, four-time Olympian, author and businesswoman, will be the keynote speaker for this event.

Breakfast organizers are also asking regional business organizations to consider becoming a sponsor of this community event.  For more information on sponsorship opportunities, call 570-422-7000.

For more information about the Celebration Breakfast or for special accommodations, contact Cornelia Sewell-Allen, director of multicultural affairs, at 570-422-3896 or email at csewell@esu.edu.