African-American Youth Achievement Awards Recognize Evanston Students

Evanston Township High School hosted the 26th annual African-American Youth Achievement (AAYA) Awards to honor 37 African-American students from Evanston/Skokie public schools. Students were recognized in a ceremony on February 9, 2023, for their daily actions that pay homage to the visions and legacy of African-American pioneers. Through initiative and perseverance, each awardee has excelled in character, civility, community service, leadership, scholarship, or sportsmanship.

The AAYA program is part of a Black History Month initiative and was sponsored by the Ivy Pearl Foundation, Byline Bank, Chessmen, C&W Market and Ice Cream Parlor, Delta Chi Omega Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Evanston North Shore Alumnae Chapter, Joe “Butch” Martin Foundation, Mary Wilkerson, McGaw YMCA, NAACP, Northwestern University, Omega Pi Zeta Chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Shorefront, Gerri Sizemore, and Soul Creations, in conjunction with Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Evanston Township High School District 202.

2023 high school AAYA recipients:

Evanston Township High School
Grade 12: Skyler Tristian Lee and Aaliya Rae Enteen Weheliye
Grade 11: Kennedi Leigh Dillard and Brandon Jamal Rosemond
Grade 10: Enijel Timothy Shelton and “Ari” Arielle Sushinski
Grade 9: Jeremy Wesley Marshall and “Darasimi” Oluwadarasimi Ogunkola

2023 middle school AAYA recipients:

Chute: Evyn Bell and Kynia Hunt
Haven: Sean Foreman and Norah Afrik Williams
Nichols: Jana Cabrera and Jaren Davis

2023 elementary and magnet school AAYA recipients:

Bessie Rhodes: Sir Elon McKinney and Bitaniya Tesfamichael (not pictured)
Dawes: Serenity Smith and Landon Wellington
Dewey: Joshua McPherson and Soleil Reed-Brown
King Arts: Tiffany Arthurs and Justin Henry
Kingsley: Christina Gomez and Jesse Paddyfoot
Lincoln: Casey Houston and Aiden Pruitt Levy
Lincolnwood: BiSola Adeniyi and Jeremiah Hudson
Oakton: A’shadieeyah Adebiyi and Tristan Payton
Orrington: Haley Cibull and Jaden Watson
Walker: Anaya Chubaka and Peyton Goodnight-Taylor
Washington: Miles Wright
Willard: Aniya-Milan Rhone and Micah Thompson

As part of the AAYA program, the Living Legend-Trailblazer Award honors African-American Evanstonians for their leadership and community contributions that encourage and inspire African-American youth. The 2023 recipient of the Living Legend-Trailblazer Award is Robin Rue Simmons.

This release was produced by Evanston Township High School. The views expressed here are the author’s own.