African Christian Teachers

24 Grads Receive African Christian Teachers Award 2004

Jun 16, 2004

Fourteen young men and 10 young women high school graduates were recipients of the African Christian Teachers Award on June 8, at York College of the City University of New York in Jamaica, Queens, New York. The Annual Reception of the African Christian Teachers, now in its 37th non-profit year, was hosted by Director
Etta May Ladson.

Five members of the Class of 2004 from the neighborhood Magnet Campus High Schools were among those receiving the prestigious Award which, among other things, honors the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Recipients are adjudged by their high school Guidance staff to be like him in character and in their commitment to others. Pictured above, left to right, from the Magnet Campus are graduates
Yesenia Requena,Heidi Butler, Sean Robinson,Love E.Ghunney and Tesha Elliott. All members of the Awards Class received the Association's green and white certificate, sent to their schools, and those in attendance at the Reception, $100 in cash.

The affair boasted a splendid number of outstanding African American male Honor Graduates, all headed for major American colleges and universities in the fall. Their remarkable stories were chronicled via videotape by Kamau Davis of Queens Public Television, and will be posted this summer at the Association's website,
africanchristianteachers.org. Their names and their schools are as follows: Love Constant from Springfield Gardens High School, Chester Johnson from Francis Lewis High School, Claude Joseph from Benjamin N Cardozo High School, Kalvin Leveille from Forest Hills High School, Duane Moore from Aviation High, Erick Nicoleau from Bishop Loughlin, Docket Okyere from John Bowne High School, Phinees Robert from Washington Irving, Alex Simon from Bayside High School and Lenin Billy from Thomas Edison. Three younger Students were also honored with certificate and $50 in cash. They were Tayo Allison from M.S.72Q, Jarret Freeman and Chevon Lindsay, both from I.S.59-Q.

The evening was filled with beautiful, high achieving young ladies. Virtually all ranked in the top ten percent of their graduating class. Nominated enthusiastically by their schools were:
Ciara Bagnall from Springfield Gardens High School, Denine Elvis from Martin Van Buren High School, Shana Eutsay from Business Magnet High, Noelle Flores from Martin Luther High School, Faith Jackson from Richmond Hill High and Nicklesha Patterson from neighborhood school August Martin High.

The festivities were co-hosted by retired SMSgt Edmond Leroy Ladson of the United States Air Force. Hunter College alumna Evelyn Clarke brought a word of praise for the Association's leadership and program and Zelma E. Lewis, teacher of music and former Metropolitan Opera coloratura sang "This is My Song" and "America, the Beautiful."

Lining up at the refreshment table were professional educators from across the city, including retired Assistant Principals, Dorothy Mead and Patricia Prince and retired Principal Alita Chapman with daughter Geraldine;longterm supporter, nurse Jeanne Tate Banks and her guest, Hunter College alumna Rose Wells, nurse Mildred Collins and lab technician, Norma Hnery. The official Philanthropic Class of 2004 were area professionals, Anna Ruth Austin, Honorary Chairperson, the Honorable Ernestine Washington,Annie Scarville Bonaparte, Hazel W. Rollins (reading and presenting), Almeta Cantlo,
Dr. Marilyn Maye, author of "Orita", A Rites of Passage text, Augusta Holmes, Henry and Irene Granderson and Hinton and Sue King; foundation family members Edmond and Amy Ladson, Patrice Ladson, Vivian Ladson and director Etta May Ladson. Nat Valentine was official photographer for the event.