SUNY Orange announces Sojourner Truth Award winners

SUNY Orange recently announced that 661 students in grades six through 12 from Orange County middle and high schools won 2025 Sojourner Truth awards.

The Sojourner Truth awards recognize students nominated by school guidance counselors and principals for excellence in areas such as athletics, citizenship, creative arts, diversity, English language arts, foreign languages, perseverance, science, and technology. The program aims to promote education positively and inspire students to view college as a realistic and attainable goal.

For the past 35 years, Orange County Community College has honored the legacy of Sojourner Truth by celebrating the achievements of Orange County youth. This year’s awards ceremony took place on Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m. in the Physical Education Center on the Middletown campus.

Below is a list of local students and what they were recognized for.

Monroe-Woodbury Central School District

Monroe-Woodbury High School: Kai Bell, Foreign Languages; Elijah Brown, Perseverance/Effort; Johan Davis, Foreign Languages; Ifechukwu Egwuonwu, Creative Arts; Danna Hernandez-Jimenez, English Language Arts; Jayden Jean-Louis, English Language Arts; Sowa Joarder, Sciences; Roxanna Lopez-Galicia, Perseverance/Effort; Norbert Osequera Vasquez, Citizenship; Claudel Pierre-Paul, Perseverance/Effort; Dimitri Rouchon, Citizenship; D’Lauren Sancho-Lopez, Citizenship; Lucca Vanderhorst, Diversity; Myra Vaneus, Foreign Languages; Emma Vazquez, Perseverance/Effort.

Monroe-Woodbury Middle School: Axel Arriola Pedraza, Perseverance/Effort; Aubrey Benros, Perseverance/Effort; Kendra Cano-Zamora, Citizenship; Maria Cedeno Solano, Perseverance/Effort; Jolie Coulanges, Foreign Languages; Jake DeBellis, Perseverance/Effort; Noah Espina, English Language Arts; Elhadji Fofanah, Perseverance/Effort; Jake Garcia, Perseverance/Effort; Cristaly Mariana Garcia Caal, Perseverance/Effort; Sydney Elise Gibson, Perseverance/Effort; Ashlyn Gomez Meza, Mathematics; Jackelyn Gonzalez-Acevedo, Perseverance/Effort; Franklin Idiaquez-Hernandez, Perseverance/Effort; Jasmine Jean, Creative Arts; Olivia Kindell, Perseverance/Effort; Abra Kpogo, Perseverance/Effort; Hailee Lendor, Citizenship; Madison Lendor, Citizenship; Leonarda Lopez Herrera; Perseverance/Effort; Imailey Maisonet-Morales, Athletics; Caleb Martinez, Sciences; Kenneth Mejia Sanchez, Perseverance/Effort; Chiandra Noel, Perseverance/Effort; Love-Slandie Norvin, Perseverance/Effort; Raul Palomino, Perseverance/Effort; Jennely Peralta Nolasco, Citizenship; Anthony Ponce Meza, Citizenship; Samiya Randolph, Citizenship; Eslyn Reyes Turcios, Perseverance/Effort; Kendra Rivera Ramirez, Perseverance/Effort; Evan Marcello Robertson, Mathematics; Ruby Rojas, Sciences; Kyle Samuels, Mathematics; Jhenifer Santos Guaman, Perseverance/Effort; Devora Sosa, Athletics; Aaron Torres, Perseverance/Effort; Kimberly Turcios, Perseverance/Effort; Alejandra Vega Marquez, Perseverance/Effort; Kimberly Verdejo-Hernandez, Perseverance/Effort.