OVAASA Honors Students, Educators

The 10 Annual OVAASA (Ohio Valley African American Students Association) Awards Banquet was held on Thursday, May 9, at River City Restaurant, to recognize 31 seniors throughout schools in the Ohio Valley. Keynote speaker was Demetrius Baldwin-Youngblood, faculty member and coach at The Linsly School.

Along with the students recognized for their academic accomplishments, one African American educator, Brian Walker, was honored with the Wanda C. Brown Award for Educator of the Year. One retired African American educator, Edith Fuller, was honored with the Burial “Bo” Holmes Award. The Michael Green Memorial Award for the student who achieved academic success despite overcoming extreme adversity was Donovan Goddard. Also, the OVAASA Phoenix Award for Academic Achievement from a non-traditional student was Kiesha Phillips.

Scholarship winners were:

Ohio University Eastern Merit Scholarship: Sheldon Lekanudos

WVNCC OVAASA Scholarship: Barak D. Lear II

WVNCC OVAASA Scholarship: Jamaiah Hairston

Wheeling Jesuit OVAASA Scholarship: Nyree’Anna Bledsoe

Tito’s Sloppy Dogg Culinary Arts Scholarship: Dallon Jones

Helping Hand/Listening Ear Psychology Scholarship: Ariana Hickman

Helping Hand/Listening Ear Psychology Scholarship: Kyla Leigh

The Timothy Midget “Know Thyself” Artistic Scholarship: Jordan Spears

Daugherty Foundation Scholarship: TeVon Minor

Ronald Scott Sr. Armed Forces Scholarship: Donovan Goddard

Daugherty Foundation Scholarship: Neveah Lekanudos

Daugherty Foundation Scholarship: De’Vaughn McWhorter

Stradwick Family Scholarship: Nathaniel Blakely

Stradwick Family Scholarship: Haley Brown

Students honored with OVAASA Academic Achievement plaques were:

Seairah Wiley

Kyla Leigh

Ty Leigh

Barak David Lear II

Taryn Davis

Chandreonia Harris

De’Vaugh McWhorter

Kayla Young

Sheldon Lekanudos

Quadaizhanique Lumpkin

Nataya Bartlett

Nevaeh Colliers

Ariana Hickman

Nyree’Anna Bledsoe

Nevaeh Lekanudos

Keondre’ King

Anthony Robbins

Nathaniel Thomas Blakely

Jamiaha Hairson

Donovan Goddard

Haley Michelle Brown

Dallon Jones

Thomas Aronokhale

Sarah Munoru

Kendria Butler

Mikal Elijah Warfield-Payne

Corban James-Barret

Calvin McGaha

Tevon Minor

Jaylen Rouse

Jordan Spears

Quincy Dameron

Sponsors for the event were the YWCA of Wheeling, Stradwick’s FadeCave and McCormick Stables.