Students garner honors at 12th annual Black Scholar Awards

04/08/09 - The University of Rhode Island Black Scholar Awards Program Committee presented numerous awards in front of a crowd of more than 100 last night in the Kirk Center for Advanced Technology.The 12th Annual Black Scholar Awards presented a range of acknowledgments, including excellence in general academics and community service.

"This is one of the evenings of the year that I always look forward to, because it gives us the opportunity to celebrate success," Harold Bibb, associate dean of the URI Graduate School, said.

Students were also inducted into the 2009 Onyx Senior Honor Society, as well as honored with special citations from the legislature. Awards from the Black Scholar Awards Committee included the Sojourner Truth Award for Scholarly Persistence and Dedication, the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Outstanding Leadership and Contribution to the University Community and the Jackie Robinson and Althea Gibson Scholar-Athlete Award.

Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts was the keynote speaker of the event and gave both her admiration and advice to the recipients.

"You have shown you will be successful in whatever you choose to do," she said. "Opportunity comes at unexpected moments, and when you find it, seize it and don't let it go."

Roberts also said that even in the current economic climate, there are many chances for success, and no one should get bogged down in the field they have chosen. She said she started in medicine and biology, and found her calling to be an elected officer when she was nearly 40 years old.

Christopher Hunter, an associate professor of engineering at URI, said it was a high honor to both introduce and celebrate the achievements of the recipients to the audience.

"The specific awards will be a testament to scholarly achievement, as well service, to the black community and URI," he said. "The president of our United States has sent out a clear message: that America wants the best that we have to give, to take on the challenges before us. Let us pray that the young people we present this evening serve as a vessel of change."

Cynthia Hamilton, former director of African-American studies at URI, was recognized with an honorary award for her achievements. She has been a professor at URI since 1992, and in that same year she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She has been an inspiration to many students during the years, to the extent that some credited her with their college degrees later that night.

"To the students being recognized, you have a wonderful environment that you are now a part of with the first African-American president of the United States, that has, in fact, made service and excellence a priority, so that all the time you have spent studying and working will be put to good use. We have miles to go, this is just step one," Hamilton said.

Assistant Dean of Arts and Sciences Earl Smith III presented some of the awards and offered his insights to the students.

"I am already blessed to be in your company," he said. "It's hard to be black, particularly a black scholar. You may not know the implications of those concepts right now, but you will surely learn."

Olubukola Babalola and Joseph Godrey won the Estes Benson Award for Academic Achievement. Babalola moved from Nigeria to the United States when she was 14 years old, and has since participated in many extracurricular academic and volunteer programs in her community, as well as URI.

Hunter presented Brandy Derogene with the Harvey Robert Turner Award for Outstanding Service to the URI Black Community. Hunter said he first met Derogene in a Tim Horton's shop, and their teacher-student relationship grew from there.

"I witnessed truly the maturing of an incredible young man who has great things ahead of him," Hunter said. "The world is looking for intelligent, talented, creative and innovative persons to tackle the persistent challenges that we face. Here comes one."

Smith presented Gessie E. Belizaire with the William Gould Award for All-Around Outstanding Achievement. Smith discussed her many achievements, including her political advocacy, leadership in many fundraisers and the publication of her research under her major.

"She chose a different path, and that's what it's all about," Smith said. "She chose a major in African-American Studies, and since that time, she has soared high.