Though health precautions necessitated a virtual Senior Awards Ceremony, the bright futures of the Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS) class of 2020 shone brightly the evening of June 3. Valedictorian Melissa Jones and Edwin Gamez Hernandez received the Chief Executive Officer’s Award, while Chloe Widman and Matthew Miller earned the Principal’s Award. The Eleanor Roosevelt Award – for students who embody the spirit of the school’s namesake – went to Isabella Baker and Chris Taho. Nicole Miko, who will be attending the University of Maryland on the Banneker/Key Scholarship, was recognized as the salutatorian.
The David and Juanita Maclin Memorial Scholarship is awarded to four Prince George’s County high school students and three of the winners this year are Roosevelt graduates: Jailyn Brown, Nyla Howell and Aiden Benyarku. Zion Albright also earned the Delegate Anne Healey Award – for a Greenbelt resident with exceptional community service – after her contributions to the ERHS soccer program, Do Something Club and Art Club. Nina Brown and Hans Konchou earned the ACE Award, while Samantha Bailor was the Outstanding English Student and Leo Kuo the recipient of a National Merit Scholarship, in addition to the many other awards presented by various staff members.
The achievements of these seniors only highlight the impressive collection of young minds graduating this year. Two graduates each are headed to Yale, Harvard and Cornell. Moreover, 133 seniors earned a 4.0 cumulative GPA or higher including Chrisria Lightfoot-Taylor, who will attend Howard University in the fall. In addition, 41 students earned the Seal of Biliteracy, 49 students successfully finished the AP Capstone program and 33 students completed the National Academy Foundation’s Academy of Finance Program, which prepares students for a future in business and accounting.
This awards ceremony would not have been possible without the work of the ERHS Senior Awards Committee, headed by Yvette Goslee, and it is a testament to the perseverance of ERHS students and staff alike.