Celebrate! Maya Project, an Arkansas-based nonprofit honoring the life of Maya Angelou, is recognizing the late Dr. Angelou’s 92nd birthday by announcing the winners of the 2020 Celebrate! Maya Scholarships and Maya Angelou Emerging Poetry Awards.
Since 2014, the Celebrate! Maya Project has awarded $1,000 Celebrate! Maya Scholarships to high school seniors and Maya Angelou Emerging Poetry Award certificates and awards to junior high and high school students. While the scholars and poets are usually recognized during an annual Day of Remembrance and Seniors Awards Breakfast, this year’s announcements are being made online, given the COVID-19 health restrictions.
The 2020 Celebrate! Maya Scholarship winners are Antegra Sterling, a graduate of Lafayette County High School in Stamp, and Jeromy Hunt Jr., a graduate of Lakeside Public High School in Lake Village.
The 2020 Maya Angelou Emerging Poetry Award winners are Jerikah Hunt and Taylor Sykes, both juniors at Lakeside Public Schools. Three honorable mentions are Carmello Jones, Ya’Ryah Rone and Fatima Mondragon, all sophomores at Lakeside Public Schools. Hunt and Sykes will each receive a $50 gift certificate and each honorable mention will receive certificates of recognition.
“We are so grateful to our friends and supporters who, throughout this pandemic, have continued to support our causes and share our passion for good change and helping fund activities that grow dreams for our youth in the Arkansas Delta region,” said Janis Kearney, Celebrate! Maya Project founder and president. “We are using Dr. Angelou’s journey as a blueprint to help youth realize their own possibilities and discover their voices.”
Kearney also announced that due to health restrictions the Celebrate! Maya Project is currently planning its fall events to take place online. Friends and supporters are encouraged to visit the Celebrate! Maya Project website for the fall 2020 schedule of events.