ESU Recognizes Award Winners at 27th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania recognized the winners for the 2024 Boddie Scholarship, Martin Luther King Jr. awards, and the Julianna V. Bolt Art Contest. The recipients were honored at the 27^th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Breakfast, on January 15.

Boddie Scholarship Recipients

The Mary Gertrude 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, which 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 Mary Gertrude Smith Boddie Scholarship recipients are Amanda Antoine, a senior psychology major from Allentown, Pa.; Tiffany Silva, a sophomore English and secondary education major from Bronx, N.Y.; Shidae Jones, a junior public health major from Philadelphia, Pa.; and Adoris Kwaidah, a junior psychology major from Philadelphia, Pa. The four students each received a $3,880 scholarship award for the spring 2024 semester.

Antoine grew up in a predominantly female, Haitian household with her older sister, Vanessa, as her role model. She graduated high school with a 3.7 GPA, nine college credits, and scholarships to multiple colleges. Antoine chose ESU for its affordability and proximity to home. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, her first year was online. She struggled mentally, financially, and physically, and her grades reflected this struggle. She ended her freshman year on academic probation and was deprived of her scholarship. Knowing failure isn’t fatal she refused to let one bad year define her. She now refers to herself as Amanda Antonie, psychology major, hospitality minor; scholarship recipient, dean’s list achiever; student leader; mentor; soon-to-be graduate; sister; daughter; and friend.

Silva, the youngest of six, was often considered the peace-maker child in the house. At age six, she lost her brother Michael to violence, and committed herself to honoring his memory and being a genuinely good person. As a first-generation college student, Silva knows how difficult it is to navigate through higher education. She became a peer mentor to help, support, and guide others as they transition into college life. She chose her major, secondary education and English, because she wants to provide a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for her students, and her minor, psychology, in hopes of having a deeper understanding of those students. Silva has committed to non-violence, equality, justice, culture diversity, and respect for herself, her family, those she mentors, her future students, and humanity and everything it encompasses.

Jones grew up in poverty and knows the importance of helping others. At ESU she is a member of the Student Government Association, Black Student Union, the Women of Color Initiative, and the Warriorettes. She is a desk worker for residential life and house in the mail room, works as a tutor, and volunteers at the Salvation Army’s soup kitchen. Jones won first place in the ESU talent show and first place in the ESU organization and club competition. She has received the sportsmanship and most scholarly awards from the Warriorettes for the last two years and has been on the Dean’s List each semester. With her access to education, she plans to improve healthcare by eliminating disparities and making policies to benefit those who are less fortunate and struggle to get access to proper healthcare. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she plans to pursue a master’s degree and hopes to one day earn a doctorate in epidemiology.

Kwaidah grew up in a single-parent house with her mother and older brother Elton. Her brother was her first best friend and often looked after her while their mother worked double shifts. As they grew up Elton became involved in street life and moved out, and they lost touch until his daughter was born. Kwaidah treated her niece like a little sister. On the last day of her first year of college she found out her brother had passed away. After coming back to school the following semester, she fell into a depression and wasn’t sure she would continue her college journey on campus. She persevered, joined a dance team, made friends and gained the support she needed to continue on. As a first-generation college student, she knows she is paving the way for other young girls who have experienced hardships in life as she shows them anything and everything is possible.

Martin Luther King Jr. Award Recipients

The Martin Luther King Jr. Award recipients exemplify characteristics of Dr. King’s philosophy of non-violence, equality, justice, cultural diversity and respect for humanity. Awards were presented to two ESU students, Brian Akonu and Keiara Whetstone; a member of ESU’s staff, Selena Hines; and a member of the local community, Michael Healey.

Brian Akonu, a senior majoring in communication from Allentown, Pa., is serving his second term as president of ESU’s Student Government Association (SGA). He is also member of the Men of Color Alliance (MOCA), playing an instrumental role in recruiting students, running programing, planning events, and running the organization’s social media account. In addition to SGA and MOCA, Akonu is a residential advisor, orientation leader, PSECU ambassador, and a member of the Black Student Union and the African Student Association. He helped to reinvigorate the Multicultural Organizational Advisory Board. Akonu is involved with the Monroe County NAACP, the Greater Pocono Chapter of Jack and Jill, and Metamorphosis Women’s Empowerment Initiative.

Keiara Whetstone, a senior majoring in athletic training from Levittown, Pa., was inducted into the ESU collegiate chapter of National Council for Negro Women in her freshman year and served as the Ways and Means Committee Chairperson in 2020. She was voted Vice President for 2021-2022 and now serves as President. She serves as a senator for the Student Government Association, and a is member of the Black Student Union and Women of Color Initiative (WOCI). Whetstone also serves as head resident advisor, a role she is passionate about.

She has a proven track record in developing successful mentoring relationships with her student residents and helps them with transitioning into their new living environment by maintaining strong relationships with them. She values respect, honesty, kindness, creativity and family and her passions include social justice, personal growth, learning new skills, traveling, and helping others.

Selena Hines has worked at ESU for 18 years and is currently the executive assistant to the vice president for campus life and inclusive excellence. Inspired by Dr. King and driven by her need to serve the ESU campus community, especially the students, she is a member of the Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration Planning Committee and the chair of the Julianna V. Bolt Art Contest. She is a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Food Pantry Committee, and the New Employee Welcome and Onboarding Committee for campus life. She is chair of the Remembrance Day Committee and Leadership and Service Award Committee and co-chair of the Women of Color Initiative and the DEI Acceptance and Belonging sub-committee. Hines is responsible for the student recognition program for WOCI and serves as a mentor to six young women. She celebrates and values the differences of all in our campus community and reaches across the aisle to collaborate with others. She is a consummate professional who seeks the good of all in and around our campus community. Selena received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from St. Peter’s University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in management and leadership in organizational behavior at East Stroudsburg University.

Michael Healey, an educator for 21 years at East Stroudsburg South High School, is a founding partner of South High School’s Purple Pantry which is a community funded, in-house resource, providing food, hygiene items, and clothing to in-need students anonymously. Michael has sought local partnerships to keep the Purple Pantry active and funded including the East Stroudsburg Salvation Army, Mady’s Angels, and Sanofi among many others. As a classroom teacher he experienced the challenges, including food insecurity, facing our students daily. Though all students receive a free breakfast and lunch from the school district, bottled water is not included. Michael again sought the help of community partners to help his students. Collaborating with Sanofi, Michael and his district received $20,000 for the purchase and installation of Elkay Filtered Water fountains and bottle filling stations to provide clean water for 1,400 students at South High School and almost 1,000 students at North High School. Community connections and our own education are only as valuable as we utilize them to lift up those around us. Michael bases his educational philosophy on Dr. King’s quote “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’.”

Michael teaches all ability levels of Social Studies from grades 9-12 including the district’s new Multicultural Perspectives in US History. Michael received his B.A. from Dickinson College, his master’s degree from Wilkes University, and holds his Principal Certification from Marywood University. For his work in education and community outreach, he has previously received the Pennsylvania State Education Association Excellence Award for Human Rights and Civil Rights in Educational Leadership. In 2017, Michael was selected by the Pennsylvania Council on the Social Studies Secondary Teacher of the Year, and with his wife, Dr. Michele Vella-Healey, a psychologist, received the United Nations CTAUN Best Practices in Education Award. Michael is the proud father of three daughters, Maren age six, Maeve age three, and Marlo 19 months.

Julianna V. Bolt Art Contest

There were 56 entries to the Julianna V. Bolt art contest this year. Entries came from East Stroudsburg North High School, East Stroudsburg High School South, Pocono Mountain High School East, Pleasant Valley High School, Pocono Mountain High School West, and Stroudsburg High School. Owen Christian from Stroudsburg High School won first place, Elizabeth Molinaro from Stroudsburg High School earned second place, and Angela K. Ketrick from Pleasant Valley High School was awarded third place. Phoebe Stone from Pleasant Valley High School was awarded honorable mention. Honorable Menion was also given to a group project from East Stroudsburg High School North. The students in the group project are Laurent Noah Gousse, McKenna Ianetti, Alexanne Kaplafka, Ryan Marino, Josephine Ramirez, and Sanai Figueroa Taylor. All entries were displayed in ESU’s Madelon Powers Gallery after the celebration breakfast.

For information about the Boddie Scholarship visit www.esufoundation.org/give-now or call (570) 422-3333. To see photos from the 27^th Annual Celebration breakfast visit https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBavAd. To see photos from the Julianna V. Bolt Art Contest gallery exhibit visit https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBavhJ/.

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