Gold, Silver, Bronze Award Wins For Bergen County Enrichment Students

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — All five students in a Bergen County youth enrichment program sponsored by the NAACP took home either gold, silver or bronze in a recent state competition for scholarship awards.

Bergen County Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) students, who performed at the competition, were recognized in Facebook post from Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes on Tuesday.

An Englewood sophomore and Teaneck senior, a news release said, each won gold medals for their performances and will be going to the national convention this weekend in Atlantic City to compete.

Quincy Eby, of Englewood, placed in classical instrumental music performance, and Tyson Sanders, of Teaneck, placed in contemporary vocal performance, ACT-SO Bergen County said on Facebook.

Eby received a bronze medal in the same category last year, earning him a 2022 Governor's Award for the Arts, the organized said.

Additionally, an Englewood sophomore earned a silver medal for his performance, and two Paterson students each won a bronze medal for other skills.

Miles Eby, of Englewood, placed in Classical Music Performance and Oratory. Samantha Mendez placed in photography, and Karla Benoit placed in short story writing.

Miles Eby is also a 2022 Governor's Award for the Arts recipient for his performance in the same category last year, as is Mendez for photography.

""It is wonderful to see the improvement (the students) made to earn these medals," Bergen County ACT-SO chair Adrienne Warrick said in a statement. "I am so very proud of them working with us remotely during the (coronavirus) pandemic and not giving up on their dreams, while sharing and enhancing their talents and skills,"

For more information about the NAACP and ACT-SO, please send an email to bergennaacp.actso@gmail.com or visit actsonewjersey.org, or bergennaacp.org.