FOSTERING UNITY: Not in Our Town Princeton presented Princeton High School and Middle School students with Unity Awards for promoting racial justice and working to make their communities more inclusive. The Award winners, from left: (seated) Jalilah Tennin, Mia Serrano, Asma Qureshi, Gabriela Maldonado; (standing) William Ponder and Brian Donis Davila. Missing: Zeynep Oral. (Photo by Charles Phox for Not in Our Town Princeton)
By Donald Gilpin
Six Princeton High School (PHS) students and one Princeton Middle School (PMS) student have been honored for promoting racial justice and working to make their schools and communities more inclusive.
At the 28th annual Unity Awards ceremony, hosted by Not In Our Town Princeton at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton (UUCP) on May 15, each of the students received a gift certificate and a $150 cash award.
In his opening remarks, UUCP pastor Rev. Bill Neely congratulated the winners and their families, stating that the Unity Awards “connects us in a diverse group of common values that lets us be inspired by the wonderful work of students who are actively building a better world. It should convince those of us whose student days are well behind us to work harder.”
The winners included PHS graduating seniors Brian Donis Davila, Zeynep Oral, William Ponder, Asma Qureshi, and Mia Serrano; rising senior Gabriela Maldonado; and PMS graduate (a rising PHS freshman) Jalilah Tennin.
“You’re all being honored this evening because of the work, the clubs, the activities, and the way each of you has widened
your circle to be inclusive of everyone in your school community,” said PMS Principal Jason Burr. “Students can thrive when they feel welcome and safe at school.”
Unity Awards committee member Jeanne DeVoe added, “Not In Our Town loves hosting these awards. It is always so inspiring to see the amazing work of the students and the great programs they are working on.”
The ceremony was hosted by PHS students Sheena Cameron Ash, Ozzy Morales Gonzales, Lena Rose Hamilton, and Zoe Nuland, who were all winners of Unity Awards last year. Nuland and Ash presented original poetry readings, and Ash performed a rendition of the song “Stand Up” from the movie Harriet.
Davila, who was vice president of Latinos Unidos, helped to organize a number of assemblies and fundraisers, and also served in several other organizations, was praised for fostering “a sense of belonging and unity within the school, making PHS a more welcoming and supportive place for all.”
Oral, president and dance director of the Korean Club, choreographed dances for the Asian Fest and other venues, hosted a lunch on Fridays to help students feel at ease with each other, and presented an exhibit at Princeton Public Library on women of color.
Ponder was a social justice advocate for the Multicultural Student Achievement Network (MSAN), a MSAN liaison to the PHS Diversity Council, and a leader in organizing a Black history and heritage assembly. He described his high school experience that included disparagement, ostracism, and resistance, and he stated, “I wanted to help create an environment that is inclusive and beneficial to all, and that’s what I’ll continue to do.”
Qureshi was president of the PHS Muslim Student Union for four years and helped organize events for Islamic Heritage Month, and was described as working “to build more inclusive communities by creating welcoming spaces that bring disparate members of our community together.”
Serrano was a Latinos Unidas member who supported the organization in many different ways including baking her renowned tres leche cakes for fundraisers. She was described by the Latinos Unidas advisor as “a dedicated and essential member of our organization, consistently stepping into both leadership and support roles with enthusiasm and heart.”
Maldonado, a member of MSAN and head of PHS PULSE (Pride, Unity, Leadership, Sisterhood, and Esteem) created a Tiger Talk Episode for the PHS radio station on housing disparities, was an assistant in the English as a Second Language program, and helped organize this year’s voter registration drive and the Black history month assemblies in 2024 and 2025.
Tennin, a member of the Black Affinity Club, helped plan and lead the Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month assemblies at PMS and also visited Princeton elementary schools to read books on Black history to third grade students. Tennin’s eighth grade civics teacher praised her “courage to get out of her comfort zone and courage to be an advocate for equality.”
Princeton Public Schools Interim Superintendent Kathie Foster, drawing on a Biblical reference —“And a little child shall lead them”— in speaking to the award winners, explained, “This quote is part of a larger prophecy that a future leader will bring about peace through righteousness and justice. Some of us today are just plain tired. Others become so preoccupied with navigating our daily responsibilities that we lose sight of the bigger picture and convince ourselves that one person’s actions can’t possibly make a meaningful difference. Thank you for leading us to a brighter path of peace and justice.”
The Unity Awards event was organized by NIOT’s Unity Awards Committee members DeVoe, Sally Kornegay, Miki Mendelsohn, Shirley Satterfield, Wilma Solomon, Joyce Trotman-Jordan, and Kathy Wilcox.