​Briarcliff HS Student Wins MLK Legacy Youth Award For Vision

From Briarcliff HS: Briarcliff High School student Alexandra Schoepke has always known Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as an icon of the civil rights movement, but was surprised to learn he was also passionate about environmental justice.

“I am also very passionate about the environment,” said Schoepke, who submitted an essay about her work with the school’s Treehuggers Club for consideration for the African American Men of Westchester’s 2017 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Youth Award for Vision.

She was equally surprised when she found out she had won the award and was honored at the 16th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Youth Awards Luncheon in Tarrytown on Jan. 16, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

“This honor places you among an esteemed group of peers who have won in prior years,” MLK Jr. Legacy Youth Award Committee Chairman Eon S. Nichols wrote in a congratulatory letter to Schoepke. “Your talent, fortitude and genuine concern for the betterment of human kind embody the spirit of Dr. King and this motivated the committee to select you out of our largest pool of highly qualified applicants to date. I trust that your accomplishments will serve as an example and inspiration to other young adults.”

Photo courtesy of the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District (Photo Caption: Briarcliff High School student Alexandra Schoepke won the African American Men of Westchester’s 2017 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Youth Award for Vision.)