Community leaders come in all sizes – just ask 13-year-old Jasmine Davis.
A petite eighth-grader at Prairie Middle School in Aurora and National Junior Honor Society member, Davis volunteers as an ambassador for The Children’s Hospital in Denver. She talks to kids about sickle cell anemia, a disease she lives with, and offers inspiration about coping with the illness.
Davis was one of 60 black and minority students honored Sunday at “Doing the Right Thing,” an awards ceremony recognizing metro-area elementary, middle and high school students for their positive achievements in the classroom and community.
“Too many achievements by young African-American students go unrecognized,” said Patricia Houston, executive director of EspeciallyMe, a Denver-based nonprofit organization that hosted Sunday’s awards. “There are an incredible number who are excelling.”
Keynote speaker and community activist Marcus Houston, 24, addressed the crowd of more than 220 educators, counselors, parents and clergy at the Adam’s Mark Hotel.
“There is a difference between ‘doing’ the right thing and ‘talking’ the right thing,” said Patricia Houston’s son, who works for the Colorado Department of Transportation as a spokesman for the seat-belt campaign. “Your leadership is the reason you are here today, and it will serve you in years to come,” he said.
Sunday’s honorees were selected by a five-person committee that chose finalists from 250 nominees.
“These awards let other kids know they can make a difference,” said Sophia Hilliard, whose daughter Sierra, an 11th-grader at Denver’s Montbello High School, was among the honorees. “It awards kids for taking pride in their community, which is a great thing.”
