NIOT Princeton honors students

At a recent ceremony, Not in Our Town Princeton (NIOT) presented Unity Awards to 13 Princeton students who have been active in fighting for racial justice and equity in their schools and community.

Some 100 people attended the 29^th annual awards on May 26 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton. In addition to the awardees and their families, they included members of the NIOT Board, teachers and school staff and administration, community members,  representatives of local non-profit and municipal organizations, clergy, the Princeton School Board and Town Council and Princeton Mayor Mark Freda.  

Rev. Bill Neely from UUPC welcomed everyone followed by special remarks by 4th grader, Asim Williams. Also speaking were Princeton Superintendent of Schools Mike LaSusa, Princeton High School Principal Cecilia Birge, and Princeton Middle School Principal Jason Burr, and Board of Education vice president, Susan Kanter. 

“You are making the world a better place—plain and simple,” LaSusa told the awardees. “I want to thank all of you for making us proud to be part of the community.” 

“We are incredibly proud and grateful for the example you have set,” Kanter said. “You remind us that lasting change often begins with individuals who care deeply and choose to act.

The awardees were from Princeton Middle School and Princeton High School. Moderating the event were previous Unity Awardees, Gabriela Maldonado, Leila Khabbaz and William Ponder

Princeton Middle School

Makani Johnson, eighth grade, Princeton Middle School (PMS)

Makani, the student body president, was honored for several activities at PMS. Makani was a leader of the school’s Black Affinity Club and helped organize Black History Month activities, including an assembly that he hosted. He also took part in the Positivity Reading Project, in which he and other students read books featuring Black authors and characters to elementary school students. 

“Sometimes it can be challenging to balance different opinions or encourage others to get involved,” Makani said. “But those challenges taught me the importance of listening, staying positive, and continuing to support others even when things are difficult. The most rewarding part was seeing the impact these projects had on both the school and our community.” 

Princeton High School Juniors

Ngozi Okeke-Agulu, a leader of the Multicultural Student Achievement Network (MSAN)

Ngozi worked to support minority students through the Multicultural Student Achievement Network (MSAN). She helped organize Black History Month programs, helped create the Big Brother/Big Sister mentoring program at the high school, and was an outreach facilitator for PULSE  (Pride, Understanding, Leadership, Sisterhood, Esteem), an empowerment group for young women of color founded by Ms. Shirley Satterfield, a guidance counselor at the time.

A Nigerian American, Ngozi said she often found herself the only Black student in the room and often felt like an outsider. In her junior year, she decided to take a leadership role in several groups. 

Ngozi said she is especially proud of starting a Big Brother/Big Sister program. “The purpose of the program is to help students from minority backgrounds feel included and supported,” she said. “We wanted younger students to know they are not alone. It is exactly the type of program I would have loved to have when I was younger.” 

Zoriah Bess, Multicultural Student Achievement Network (MSAN) leader 

Zoriah is the student body president and leader of MSAN who attended the national MSAN conference this past year. She also helped start the Big Brother/Big Sister program. “I didn’t always feel like I had a strong community in middle school,” Zoriah said, so she was happy to offer a program that can help children of color feel accepted. 

Zoriah recalled meeting the parent of a child who was excited to hear about the Big Brother/Big Sisters program. “That conversation made my day because it made me feel like I had actually done something meaningful,” she said. 

Alexis Brown, President of Princeton High School’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) 

In her remarks, Alexis pointed to a study by the Trevor Project that found most LBGTQ+ young people, 69 percent, were bullied in school. The Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) helps combat that trend by “helping educate students about LGBTQ+ history, identity, and celebration” and providing a safe place for LGBTQ+ students and their allies, Alexis said. The group participated in the “Day of Dialogue” at PHS and took part in the Pride on the Plaza and the Princeton Pride Parade. It helped organize a workshop sponsored by the Princeton Regional Education Association on queer and trans representation in the media. 

“With the increasingly hostile political climate surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, particularly for queer and trans youth, my goal is not only to ensure that LGBTQ+ students at Princeton High School feel supported and safe, but also to make sure their voices are heard,” Alexis said. 

Parisa Yabukova, president of the Muslim Student Union (MSU)

Parisa said she found a welcoming place with the Muslim Student Union (MSU) when she was a freshman at PHS and was happy she could continue providing that sense of belonging. Parisa said she was most proud to help organize a school-wide Iftar for some 200 people.

“In a world that can feel isolating, and where faith is not always openly discussed, the Muslim Student Union is a place where Muslim students—and students of other faiths as well—can come together around kindness, charity, and community,” Parisa said.  

Princeton High School Seniors

Andrew Foreman, vice president of Multicultural Student Achievement Network (MSAN) 

Andrew spent two years organizing the PHS Black History Month Assembly. MSAN also organized the Malcolm X Day of Excellence in which ninth to twelfth graders attended a Rider University event  “to discuss leadership, history, and manhood.” Andrew is also a peer group leader and a tutor. 

“One thing these experiences have taught me is that advocacy is often about consistency and showing up for others,” Andrew said. “Change doesn’t happen instantly, but even small actions can help people feel more supported and connected over time.” 

Arianna Faith Malave, president of the Multicultural Student Achievement Network (MSAN) 

Through the MSAN, Arianna helped organize and choreograph the Black History Month Assembly at PHS. Students advocated for the assembly after school officials wanted to stop making it a school-wide event.

“It was difficult knowing that people we saw every day wanted to cancel an assembly meant to celebrate culture, history, and voices that are often overlooked,” Arianna said. “But that challenge taught me something powerful: advocating for justice isn’t always comfortable.”

 “I’d like to thank Not In Our Town again for believing in student voices and creating spaces where justice, inclusion, and community truly matter,” said award winner Arianna Faith Malave.

Valeria Trujillo Monroy, chair of the Youth Advisory Committee, co-president of Latinos Unidos and Generation 1, vice president of PULSE.

Valeria holds several leadership roles across different organizations. She serves as chair of the municipality’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC), where she brings diverse youth perspectives to the Princeton mayor and council members. As co-president of Latinos Unidos and Generation 1, supporting first generation college students. she helped plan the Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly, including advocating for the assembly and choreographing the dances. As vice president of Pride, Unity, Leadership, Sisterhood and Esteem (PULSE), she coordinated donation drives to support women and underserved communities, helping provide essential resources, such as for mothers in the NICU of a local hospital..

 “I’ve helped organize performances, choreograph dances, and plan many events because I wanted students to feel proud of showcasing their culture and identity,” Valeria said. “Watching students feel represented and enjoy something they are part of is a big reminder to me of how important inclusion and representation are.” 

Alyssa Moreno, leader of MSAN, Latinos Unidos, PULSE and the Faith Club 

Emcee Gabriela Maldonado, who nominated Alyssa for the award, called Alyssa “a fierce advocate for equity” who “successfully lobbied school administrators for institutional fairness and expanded opportunities for students throughout the school community.” Alyssa is a leader with Latinos Unidos, MSAN, and PULSE . “What inspires me to do this comes from both my own experiences and the experiences of people around me,” Alyssa said. “I’ve seen how meaningful it is when someone feels accepted and heard, but I’ve also seen how harmful silence can be when discrimination or bias is ignored.” 

Jasmine and Jonathan Taylor, co-founders of the Anti-Afrophobia Club 

Jasmine and Jonathan, sister and brother,  together founded the club and Jasmine served as president. The club is dedicated to creating “a safe space for Black students and other students of color to discuss issues that minorities face both inside and outside of school.” 

Jasmine said she and her brother have often experienced discrimination at PHS, an experience common to many Black students, she said. “We have both personally experienced racism,” Jasmine said. “We have experienced everything from racial slurs and epithets to seeing derogatory messages written on bathroom stalls.” The Anti-Afrophobia Club was intended as an antidote to that experience, she said. “It is a place that ensures minority students have an outlet where they can express themselves proudly and freely.”

Joselyn Winslow, founder of the All In Club 

Joselyn is co-founder of the All in Club to bring together students of all abilities, to help break down social barriers and stigma, and to ensure equal access to community and belonging. She was a winning dance participant in the NAACP’s Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics through the Trenton branch, which led to the group’s participation in the national contest in Chicago. 

“Being part of this program, along with my journey in Princeton, has strengthened my passion for service and creating opportunities not only for myself, but for others who look like me,” Joselyn said. 

Aimy Solares- Zacarias, co-president of Latinos Unidas 

As co-president of  Latinos Unidos, Aimy helped organize cultural events that celebrate the heritage and cultural diversity of  Latino students. One event was a talk by a lawyer who spoke to parents about child custody and other legal issues. Aimy is also president of Princeton High School’s “Girl Up”, that supports women in underrepresented fields and collaborates with women’s shelters. She is also a leader in Generation One. “In a time where the world is divided, building an inclusive community requires action, support, and patience,” Aimy said. “For me, that meant finding a way to loudly but proudly celebrate the heritage and work of our Latino community.” 

The evening culminated with a vocal  performance by Sheena Ash, a previous Princeton High School Unity Award winner.

The Unity Awards are open to Princeton high school juniors and seniors and middle school and charter school eighth graders. More information can be found on the NIOT Princeton website: NIOTPrinceton.org. 

NIOT Princeton is a multi-racial, multi-faith group of individuals who stand together for racial justice and inclusive communities. Our focus is to promote the equitable treatment of all, and to uncover and confront white supremacy— the system that facilitates the preference, privilege and power of white people at the expense of non-white people and pits racial and ethnic groups against each other by upholding a hierarchy based on proximity to whiteness. Continuing Conversations are held the first Monday of most months.