Students honored by Paterson Youth Council, NJCDC at 17th annual MLK Day Breakfast
PATERSON – Two high school students and two middle school students who attend Paterson Public Schools were honored by the Paterson Youth Council at the 17th annual Dr. Martín Luther King, Jr. Youth Recognition Awards breakfast on Monday, January 16th. Each of the nominees was recognized for their actions that have kept alive the legacy of Dr. Martín Luther King, Jr.
The high school students honored with the Dr. Martin Luther King Youth Award were as follows.
- Elijah Carroll is a senior at Garrett Morgan Academy. Last fall, Carroll made the All-Liberty League Team and All-Passaic County Team as an Eastside football player. He also participates in several of the Eastside Athletic Department’s community service events that help feed the less fortunate, provide backpacks to students, and hold toy and coat drives. Carroll volunteers at a local residential care facility for at-risk youths and served as president of his team’s Black Lives Matter movement in 2020.
- Treyvon Watson is a senior at Paterson STEAM High School. He has volunteered with Paterson Recreation’s Biddy Ball program where he assisted young athletes ages 5 to 7 with basketball drills on Saturday mornings. He has also volunteered his time at the Paterson Recreation Department’s “Fun in the Sun Day” in the summer. In addition, he has worked with a variety of other organizations by helping to clean local parks, collecting items for food drives, and assisting with a gun violence awareness walk. He is a member of the National Honor Society and Interact Club at Paterson STEAM High School. He is also a varsity player for the Eastside High School Basketball team. In addition to all his extracurricular activities, Watson is a top student in the Rutgers Dual Enrollment Program and aspires to be a physician’s assistant.
The middle school students honored with the Dr. Martin Luther King Youth Award were as follows.
- Yamel Duran Acevado is a seventh-grader at the Joseph A Taub Middle School. Acevado has been tearing down the barriers between English language learners (ELL) and their education by assisting ELL students in her social studies class. Seconds after the teacher delivers an instruction, Acevado leans over and rapidly translates everything the teacher said. Acevado is a second-year ELL student who diligently takes notes and puts all of her efforts into learning English and her course material.
- Britney Ebanks is an eighth-grader at Public School No. 24. Ebanks was described by school administrators as a “go-to leader” who prepares and assists in delivering the school’s morning announcements and ensures team cohesion and responsibility for the school’s cheerleading team. In class, Ebanks is focused, responsible, and attentive. Although she is usually busy participating in the dancing and singing ensembles of school events such as the school’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration and the school’s holiday show, Ebanks was able to earn all A's in her classes to garner her the Principal's List award.
(L-R) Treyvon Watson and Elijah Carroll
Yamel Duran Acevado
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