Goshen students receive Sojourner Truth Awards
GOSHEN – Students from the C. J. Hooker Middle School and Goshen High School were honored at the 24 Sojourner Truth Awards ceremony on March 14 at SUNY Orange.
The Sojourner Truth Awards honors students in grades 6-12 who have excelled in the areas of athletics, citizenship, creative arts, diversity, English language arts, foreign languages, perseverance/effort, sciences and technology. The program’s goal is to promote education in a positive manner and motivate students who are from groups that are traditionally under-represented in the college population to consider college as a viable and attainable goal.
The Honorable Maria Vazquez-Doles, Supreme Court Justice for the Ninth Judicial District of New York, was the keynote speaker. Her district includes the counties of Orange, Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess and Putnam. She is the only Latina Supreme Court Justice in those five counties.
In addition to being recognized for her achievements in English language arts, sophomore Emily Horrego was the recipient of a $2,500 scholarship to SUNY Orange. She is one of only four students to receive such recognition.
“I was pretty excited to receive the scholarship,” said Emily. “It’s such a privilege and I didn’t expect it.”
Emily is a member of the cheerleading squad. She plans on majoring in fashion merchandising and marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology after she graduates in two years. She is the daughter of Vladimir and Maureen Horrego of Goshen.
About Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth, for whom the program is named, lived in the mid-Hudson Valley after escaping from slavery. She is hailed as one of the most distinguished and highly regarded women of the 19 century. Born Isabella Bomefree (later spelled Baumfree) about 1797 in Hurley, N.Y., Isabella was sold four times, until she and her daughter were given their freedom in 1828. Isabella spoke low Dutch until she was about 10 years old and never learned to read or write.
In 1843, she changed her name to Sojourner Truth to better reflect her chosen missions of traveling to show people their sins and telling them what is true. Sojourner Truth is often referred to as one of the most effective and powerful speech-makers of her time.