On Saturday, May 17, 2014, the Altadena Senior Center was filled with community members, elected officials, school personnel, family and friends as the Pasadena Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. hosted its annual reception in honor of the 2014 Academic Award Recipients. The room was uniquely decorated with jasmine centerpieces, setting the stage for the program, which was opened by President Ellen Ligons. The invocation was given by Chaplain, Esther Watkins and Congresswoman Judy Chu presented a certificate of commendation to the Pasadena Alumnae Chapter for outstanding work in the community. A motivating keynote address was delivered by Mr. Tyron Hampton, Pasadena Unified School District Board of Trustees Juanda Scoggins, Academic Awards Committee Member introduced Mr. Hampton.
Denise Jones, Academic Awards Committee Chairperson, presented awards, in the amount of $1,000 each, to the following deserving and accomplished students: Jane Strong-Moses & Jesse Moses Commemorative to Colleen Thaxton – , Marshall Fundamental Secondary School Houlemard Family to Renaissance Forster – LaSalle High School, Mabel Lockett Martin Commemorative to Brenden Dickerson – John Muir High School, Carolyn Edwards Jones Commemorative to Simone Abegunrin – Polytechnic High School, Gwendolyn & Tommy McMullins Family to Ah’Shirae Arana – Pasadena High School, , Anita Johnson Cole Commemorative to Chelsea Larsuel – Mayfield Senior School, Willie Mae Hooks Lewis Commemorative to Lance Wyndon – John Muir High School, Nelle Kigh Thompson Commemorative to Jorden Tyler – Pasadena High School, Jean & Clarence Mills Family to Cheyenne Smith – Marshall Fundamental Secondary School and Presidents’ Commemorative to Alexandria Myers – John Muir High School. Pyramid Academic Awards, in the amount of $500 each, were presented to Kayla Johnson – Pasadena High School and Alexandra Hicks – Maranatha High School. Three of the 2013 Academic Award Recipients; Kai Grayson, Marissa Johnson and Trinity Skinner, attended the reception and gave insights on their experiences during the first year of college to the upcoming freshman students.
Certificates of commendation were received by each award winner from the office of Mayor Bill Bogaard, Supervisor Michael Antonovich, Assemblyman Chris Holden, Senator Carol Liu and Congresswoman Judy Chu.
The Pasadena Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. has given over $420,000 in academic awards to worthy students for the pursuit of post secondary education over the last fifty years. In addition to educational development, the Pasadena Alumnae Chapter has provided services in the areas of economic development, physical and mental health and political and international awareness/involvement since its chartering on January 27, 1961.
The Academic Awards Committee consists of Denise Jones – Chair, Christina Bentley, Martinique Brown, Joyce Cox, Johari DeWitt-Rogers, Nicci Gorham, Dianne Lewis, Lindsey Malcom-Piqueux, Gwendolyn McMullins, Kathy Pentecost, Juanda Scoggins, Rayne Stewart, Alma Stokes, Esther Watkins and Sylvia Wiggins.
