Thirty-seven high school/middle school students are among 645 students in grades 6-12 attending Orange County schools who have been named recipients of SUNY Orange’s 2024 Sojourner Truth  Awards

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 10-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 is one of the most effective and powerful speech-makers of her time.

High School:

Heather Day, Citizenship
Jayden Dela Vega, Citizenship
Natalie Deoragh, Perseverance/Effort
Hana Ebbert, Creative Arts
Ella Gonzalez, Sciences
Audrey Guido, Citizenship
Ethan Hidalgo, Sciences
Ferra Hill, Perseverance/Effort
Olivia Loeven, Sciences
Wesley Mardyniak, Perseverance/Effort
Kaitlyn McElduff, Citizenship
Nicolas Merante, Perseverance/Effort
Raeanne Napolitano, Perseverance/Effort
Nariyah Nelson, Citizenship
Evelyn Nsiah, Perseverance/Effort
Zachary Phillips, Perseverance/Effort
Alexa Ramos, Creative Arts
Anahi Soriano, Foreign Languages

 Middle School:

Natalie Barina, Foreign Languages
Deedrew Barrett, Diversity
Izayis Blanco, Perseverance/Effort
Maura Cizek, English Language Arts
Liam Deoragh, Citizenship
Nalina Flores, Perseverance/Effort
Ryan Fusco, Perseverance/Effort
Sabrina Listwon, Creative Arts
Leah Martinez, Foreign Languages
Santiago Martinez, Foreign Languages
Kelsey Merzbach, Perseverance/Effort
Braeden Miceli, Technology
Johnpeter Morisi III, Citizenship
Luke O’Neill, Citizenship
Jacob Pizzimenti, Citizenship
Raya Roberto, Technology
Addison Sacco, English Language Arts
Mack Stanko, Perseverance/Effort
Chanel Tejeda, Citizenship

Awards will be presented on Friday, March 8 at 6 p.m. at SUNY Orange’s Physical Education Center.