Individual student awards and scholarships will be presented and a 1993 graduate of the program honored at the 34th annual Educational Development Program awards ceremony at the Williams Center Multipurpose Room on Tuesday, March 15, beginning at 4 p.m.
“Celebrating our students’ accomplishments in this public forum and acknowledging their academic successes encourages them to remember their power to excel and sets the perfect example for other students to believe in themselves and understand that hard work matters,” said David M. White, EDP director.
“This event also provides the opportunity for our program to thank the campus and community for their support and assistance in serving EDP students,” Mr. White added.
 |
| Lavette Johnson-Debrow and her students. |
Lavette Johnson-Debrow, a certified teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing in Prince George’s County Schools in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, will receive the 2016 EDP Distinguished Alumni Award. The honor recognizes EDP graduates who have accomplished personal and professional goals and demonstrated a commitment to leadership and academic excellence.
After receiving a B.S. degree in Speech and Hearing Handicapped (now Communication Disorders and Sciences) at Fredonia in 1993, Ms. Johnson-Debrow earned an A.A.S degree in Educational Interpreting from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology in 1995. She then went on to receive, with Presidential Honors, a M.A. in Deaf Education from Gallaudet University in 1997 and complete an internship at the Louisiana School for the Deaf.
Outside of the classroom, Johnson-Debrow has excelled in field archery. In 2014- her first year in the sport- she won the Maryland state championship for women in her division and became the first African American woman to win the title. At the national level a year later, Johnson-Debrow placed fifth in her division. She has also written a book on fabric collage art, created her own style of fabric collage sold nationally and has been featured in several craft magazines.
A Buffalo native now residing in Washington, D.C., Johnson-Debrow is also scheduled to participate in the EDP Alumni Speaker Series on Monday, March 14, at 4 p.m. in Williams Center Room S204. The series, held during EDP’s general meeting, serves as a platform for EDP graduates to motivate and inspire students from a program and campus that have had a significant impact on shaping their lives. It also provides a forum for current EDP students and other members of the campus community a chance to interact with EDP alumni, while highlighting the important work and success stories of EDP alumni in a variety of professions.
Awards to be presented at the March 15 ceremony include:
Outstanding EDP Tutor of the Year awards: Margaret Fagan of Clifton Park, a junior Communication Disorders and Sciences major; Jordan Reed of Brocton, a senior History major; and Andrew Senseney, of Derby, a senior Physics major.
The Arthur O. Eve Scholarship will be presented to senior Anthony Colquitt of Rochester, N.Y., and junior Deshaun Jefferson of the Bronx, both majoring in Sport Management; and Jelissa Lebron of Brooklyn, a senior Communication - Communication Studies major.
The Director’s Award will be given to Kelvin Munoz of New York City, a senior Sport Management major.
The Gregory Antonio Memorial Award will be given to Sammantha Nickel, of Hilton, a junior majoring in Theatre Production and Design.
The Exemplary Service Award will be given to the Office of University Services.
In addition, EDP students having a GPA of 2.7 or higher while completing 12 or more credits in both the Spring 2015 and Fall 2015 semesters will receive academic certificates. Silver certificates will be given to students with a 2.7 to 3.29 GPA, while gold certificates will be given to those having a 3.3 to 4.0 GPA.
Community Service certificates will be presented to students for serving at blood drives, the Fall Sweep and Boys and Girls Club.
Also at the awards program, 30 new inductees of the Alpha Mu chapter of Chi Alpha Epsilon National Honor Society will receive pins. The students include EDP and Full Opportunity Program students who achieved a 3.0 or higher GPA for two consecutive semesters and are enrolled full-time.
Contributions to the EDP Scholarship and Community Service Fund are greatly appreciated and allow EDP to reward academic achievement and community service and assist its most needy students. Checks can be made payable to the Fredonia College Foundation; donations can also be submitted online at www.fredonia.edu/edp/.
