SUNY Orange announces that a total of 645 students in grades 6-12 attending Orange County high schools will receive 2024 Sojourner Truth Awards on Friday, March 8 at 6 p.m. in the Physical Education Center.
The College’s Sojourner Truth Awards Program honors students who have been nominated by school guidance counselors and principals for having demonstrated excellence in areas such as athletics, citizenship, creative arts, diversity, English language arts, foreign languages, perseverance/effort, sciences, and technology. In place for 34 years, the program aims to promote education in a positive manner and to motivate students to consider college as a viable and attainable goal.

Hailed as one of the most distinguished and highly regarded women of the 19th Century, Sojourner Truth, for whom the program is named, lived in the mid-Hudson Valley after escaping slavery. Born around 1797 in Hurley, N.Y., she was named Isabella Bomefree (later spelled Baumfree). Until about ten years old, she spoke low Dutch and never learned to read or write. She was sold four times before being given her freedom in 1828, along with her daughter. In 1843, she changed her name to Sojourner Truth to reflect a literal tie to her mission of traveling to show people their sins and tell them what is true. Truth was one of the most effective and powerful speech-makers of her time.

In addition to recognition as a 2024 Sojourner Truth Award winner, four students will be selected to receive a $2,500 SUNY Orange Foundation Sojourner Truth Awards Scholarship to study at SUNY Orange.

To learn more about this program, visit SUNY Orange’s Sojourner Truth website at www.sunyorange.edu/stap or call the Office of Student Services at (845) 341-4000.

2024 Sojourner Truth Award Winners

Newburgh Enlarged City School District
Newburgh Free Academy: Danyala Ventura Arevalo, Citizenship; Jakaira Baves, Perseverance/Effort; Carlos Berrios, Citizenship; Dyonne Cameron, Perseverance/Effort; Carlos Cortes, Citizenship; Ana Cortes Pliego, Citizenship; Marilyn Garcia, Perseverance/Effort; Jayden Gonzalez Luzon, Perseverance/Effort; Leonardo Guzman Perez, Perseverance/Effort; Tyson Hill, Citizenship; Hanif Inman, Perseverance/Effort; Heather Kraus, Citizenship; Monique May, Citizenship; Ariyah Murphy, Citizenship; Thania Reyes, Perseverance/Effort; Solana Soler, Perseverance/Effort; Cinthya Vaquero, Diversity.

Heritage Middle School: Judith Alvarado, Mathematics; Viktoria Bohler, Mathematics; Rohndai Butler, Citizenship; Hailey Clarke, Mathematics; Micah Gillian, Citizenship; Joleen Guadalupe, Perseverance/Effort; Arissa Guerin, Mathematics; Zaina Hillah-Ayite, Citizenship; Mohavier Kelly, Citizenship; Jemar King, Perseverance/Effort; Itzayana Martinez, Citizenship; Kayden McLean-Lewis, Perseverance/Effort; Joshua Mejia, Sciences; Cayden Nyborg, Citizenship; Yaretzi Ortega-Hernandez, Perseverance/Effort; America Palacios Reyna, Perseverance/Effort; Camila Peredes, Sciences; Hayden Ramos, Citizenship; Jayna Reaves, Citizenship; Isabella Tejada, Perseverance/Effort; Danyala Ventura Arevalo, Citizenship.

South Middle School: Johandrys Cera Meza, English Language Arts.

Temple Hill Academy Middle School: Anderson Bravo Naula, Perseverance/Effort; Yeshayah Desir, Creative Arts; Legacy Ferrell, Creative Arts; Clare Greaven-Smith, English Language Arts; Valery Hernandez, Perseverance/Effort; Rahmatu Ibrahim, English Language Arts; Mark Mitchell, English Language Arts; Ruth Naula Guaman, Perseverance/Effort; Elizabeth Neptune, English Language Arts; Eduar Orellana Sanchez, Perseverance/Effort; Jayden Sexton, Perseverance/Effort; Eliana Vela, Athletics; Carmelo White, Creative Arts.

Temple Hill Academy Elementary School: Darren Bien-Aime, Perseverance/Effort.

Pine Bush Central School District
Pine Bush High School: Isaac Cruz, Citizenship; Jessica Johnson, Athletics; Madelyn Magsamen, Perseverance/Effort; Oluomachi Nwakanma, Perseverance/Effort; Christian Oliveras, Citizenship; Breanna Omosebi, Sciences; Elijah Rodriguez, Perseverance/Effort; Eryka Squash Castellanos, Perseverance/Effort; Jahesa Stokes, Athletics; Xiamaya Stuckey, Perseverance/Effort; Stella Torres Laureano, Citizenship
Circleville Middle School: Emmanuel Abrokwah, Perseverance/Effort; Juan Aguirre, Mathematical Surya Tej Allam, Mathematica; Giovanni Alvino, English Language Arts; Vaughn Kaizer Drake Bautista, Mathematics; Triston Bernard, English Language Arts; Ellis Brown, Citizenship; Chigozie (Jason) Chukwu, Citizenship; Antonia Ciccarelli, Sciences; Pranom Dey, Foreign Languages; Melanie Duran, Foreign Languages; Ivanna Florez-Sepulveda, Mathematics; Jeremiah Frarnco, Creative Arts; Makai Garnere, Perseverance/Effort; Nathan Garnere, Creative Arts; Devin Hernandez, Perseverance/Effort; Ryan Howard, Perseverance/Effort; Qua-Melle Huggins-Pelle, Creative Arts; Leisa Jean-Baptiste, Diversity; Jenna Johnson, Sciences; Donjeta Kaba, English Language Arts; Christy Lin, English Language Arts; Xue Dan Lin, Citizenship; Isabella Mendez, Perseverance/Effort; Giuliana Ortiz, Sciences; Khadijah Owens, Sciences; Jana Saleh, Mathematics; Haeum Shim, Perseverance/Effort; Cameron Smith, Perseverance/Effort; Hunter Talleyrand, Perseverance/Effort; Taashi Thapar, English Language Arts; Fabian David Torres Laureano, Foreign Languages; Arianna Torres Reyes, English Language Arts; Thea Valdez, Creative Arts; Ralph Villani, Mathematics; Dakota Wilson, Sciences.

Valley Central School District
Valley Central High School: Angelina Addison, Diversity; Pablo Amon Ortega, Perseverance/Effort; Tiffani Ayerdis Alvarez, Perseverance/Effort; Rayden Bonilla, Perseverance/Effort; Alia Burton, English Language Arts; Arielle Dominguez, Sciences; Harmony Gutierrez, Mathematics; Benjamin Hong, Perseverance/Effort; Giselle Johnson, Perseverance/Effort; Kiya Knowles, Citizenship; Julia Krzeminski, Creative Arts; Ronin Lebron, Citizenship; Hope Markle, Perseverance/Effort; Patricia Montero, Sciences; Jasir Murphy, Perseverance/Effort; Ayomide Odumuyiwa, Sciences; Zachariah Ortiz, Perseverance/Effort; Shedna Philogene, Perseverance/Effort; Evan Ramos, Citizenship; Mariah Rampersad, Perseverance/Effort; Katerina Robinson, Foreign Languages; Jason Savino, Sciences; Annalise Smallwood, Citizenship; Ayden Smith, Athletics; Lynae Smith, Perseverance/Effort; Kimani Stepney, Mathematics; Jyles Taylor IV, Mathematics; Emily White, Perseverance/Effort; Jakai Williams, Citizenship.

Valley Central Middle School: Zephaniah Boyer, Citizenship; Micah Fraser, Perseverance/Effort; Elijah Glover, Sciences; Hayela Gourdet, Citizenship; Joyce Kuate, Citizenship; Connor Nowinski, Citizenship; Emelia Stevenson, Perseverance/Effort; Chloe Urena, Perseverance/Effort; Kaylieb Wallace Fore-Heron, Perseverance/Effort.