Students and educators from the Salt Lake Valley were honored at the close of the U’s celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
U President Bernie Machen awarded 10 students with the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Leadership Award. He also presented two high school teachers, a counselor and a secretary to the principal with the Martin Luther King Jr. Educator Award.
The awards were presented to the students and teachers before the Danilo Perez and The Motherland Project, a Latin, jazz band took the stage, to entertain more than 1,000 people who attended the event. The students were nominated by their principals teachers, advisers, church leaders, friends and parents throughout the state.
“Tonight’s 10 award winners have demonstrated the highest commitment to social action, positive change and building bridges among cultures and communities,” Machen said.
Students were given an engraved plaque and a $100 cash gift for the award.
Jill Gerritsen, senior at Skyline High School, spent the past two summers at Camp Wyatt as a counselor working with asthmatic children. For three years, she has been a class and club member of Community of Caring she has also participated in many other service clubs and activities.
“It is very honoring. It feels good to show others that service can make a difference,” she said.
Other student award winners include: Denise Chappell, Wayne High School; Alan Dubon Layton High School; McCall Knowlton, Highland High School; Micaela Limburg, Millard High School; Kelsey Morgan, Olympus High School; Doan Nguyen, Box Elder High School; Janique Sinclair, Provo High School; Chanelle Tupua, Highland High School; and Brittnee Wright-Hopkins, Judge Memorial High School.
The student awards have a long tradition in conjunction with the U’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. However, this was the first year the U handed out the educator awards.
“Tonight’s four educator award winners have demonstrated the highest commitment to and celebration of diversity, recognizing and celebrating differences and similarities, promoting harmony and modeling an inclusive environment that moves beyond tolerance to acceptance,” Machen said.
The educator awards went to Kandie Brinkman, Judge Memorial High School; Leshia Nelson, Payson High School; Donna Newbold, Bingham High School; and Julie Sandoval, Granite High School. The teachers were also given a plaque and a cash award.