Randolph Institute honors scholarship winners

Staff report

youngstown

The A. Philip Randolph Institute’s Youngstown Chapter honored students from the Youngstown City Schools at a recent luncheon at McGuffey Center.

Each year, the institute awards scholarships to 12th-grade students desiring to expand their educational studies. Essay winners will receive a $1,000 reward. The 2011-12 A.P.R.I. scholarship winners are: Nilyshia Johnson, Chaney High School / Choffin Career & Technical Center; Briana Jennings, East High School; and Jason Gilmore, Youngstown Early College.

The Rev. William J. Blake was the keynote speaker for the memorial luncheon, which honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the founder of the organization, Asa Philip Randolph.

As a student development professional, the Rev. Mr. Blake’s passion has been working with young people. He provides direct services to students, staff and community as a representative of Youngstown State University in the Office of Diversity.

He is known within the profession as being student-centered and focused upon helping college students to develop as leaders.

All three scholarship honorees will be attending YSU.

This year’s program booklet included a “Where Are They Now?” section, which highlighted a former A.P.R.I. 2004 scholarship winner, Joseph Clark III.

After graduation from The Rayen School, Clark attended The Ohio State University to pursue a bachelor of arts in psychology.

Before graduation in 2008, the university named him one of 12 graduates (of 7,500) who will “Do Something Great!” in a university press release. He entered law school at the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State to pursue a Juris Doctorate degree.

Clark lives in Washington, D.C., where he works for Battelle Memorial Institute, the world’s largest independent research and development organization, dealing with high-level policy and federal legislative operations.

The master of ceremony for this event was Arlette Gatewood. Musical selections were provided by Sheldon S. Grayson and Carol Baird and the Youngstown Connection.