These 4 Female Students In Essex County Are ‘Leaders Of Tomorrow’ – Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Four high-achieving students from Essex County earned a nod as “leaders of tomorrow” on Wednesday as part of the county’s annual Althea Gibson Leadership Awards.

Essex County’s 2022 Women’s History Month program took place at the Martin Luther King Jr. Justice Building in Newark.

Leadership awards were presented to the following students, who each offered words of thanks:

• Alicia Augustin from the Essex County Donald Payne, Sr. School of Technology – “Thank you so much this award. I thank my family for their support, especially my mother, who is the strongest woman in my life. She always motivates me. I am so grateful to thrive at the Donald Payne School and take advantage of all its programs.”
• Samantha Arias from Essex County West Caldwell School of Technology – “I want to be an image for women in science, because as I was growing up, I didn’t see anyone who looked like me.”
• Katreena Deodatt from Essex County Newark Tech School of Technology – “Thank you for this opportunity. I stand here as a young woman but I am representative of all the young women at Newark Tech. I want to thank my family and my other who taught me that your mind is your greatest tool.”
• Ines Kenfack Donfack from Essex County College – “Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me, especially during the transition from high school to college during the pandemic. All the leadership has helped me grow into the woman I am today.”

County officials gave some background about each of this year’s awardees.

Alicia Augustin – “Alicia Augustin is a senior at the Essex County Donald M. Payne, Sr. School of Technology. She is part of the Payne Scholars, a selective program funded by the Payne Foundation in which students take college courses in government and politics. Augustine has a grade point average of 4.4, has been named an AP Scholar and an African American Recognition Scholar by the college board, is a finalist for the Ron Brown Scholarship and a semifinalist for the national Jackie Robinson scholarship. In addition, she is captain of the Girls Varsity Soccer team and the Payne Tech Mock Trial Club, which won the county competition due to her leadership. Augustin gave back to her school community by spending her most recent summer developing curriculum and teaching Essex County middle school students in the Essex County Schools of Technology District’s inaugural Mock Trial Summer Camp. She also is a senior mentor, providing a group of freshmen emotional and academic support as they navigate through their first year at Payne Tech.”

Samantha Arias – “Samantha Arias is a junior at the Essex County West Caldwell School of Technology. She spends her time volunteering at the Wild Bird Fund in New York City and working with other environmental organizations, such as Clean Ocean Action and Save Coastal Wildlife. At school, Arias is Vice President of the GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance), and a member of the National Honor Society. She has a passion for music, leading the children’s choir at her local church, and singing at school events and parades that honor her Latin American roots. Samantha aspires to use her voice in order to make way for other women of color in STEM and the performing arts.”

Katreena Deodatt – “Katreena Deodatt is a senior at Essex County Newark Tech. She is Co-Captain of the Varsity Debate team, the number one policy debater in New Jersey and a national qualifier in speech and debate. She also serves as the President of Student Council and National Honor Society, and is enrolled in Newark Tech’s TEAL Center, which will enable her to earn both her high school diploma and an Associate’s Degree at the same time. Because building and supporting the Newark Tech family is important to Deodatt, she serves as a Senior Mentor to 12 of the current freshmen. Last year, she was an ambassador for the Cares Mentoring Program which centers on addressing the emotional, social, and physical well-being of students. She also is part of the morning announcement crew, and regularly reminds her classmates that “Dreams don’t work unless you do” at the end of announcements. Deodatt strives to fit the mission of excellence that is expected of everyone; because that is what a Newark Tech Terrier is.”

Ines Kenfack Donfack – “Ines Kenfack Donfack is a student at Essex County College where she is studying Biology and Pre-Medicine, with aspirations to become a physician so she can give back to the community and help people. Kenfack Donfack, who is originally from Douala, Cameroon, is no stranger to Essex County, having graduated from Essex County Newark Tech. At ECC, she is the Treasurer of the Biology/Pre-Medicine Club, and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and the Essex Chemical Society. She also serves as a math, biology and chemistry tutor for other students at the ECC Learning Center.”

“Through their academic achievements and contributions to their local communities, these remarkable young women are on the road to success,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“Each is unique in their own way, having a profound impact on their schools,” DiVincenzo said. “Striving for their goals and never letting anything stop them is part of what has driven the to reach the level of success that they have achieved thus far in their lives.”

“These young women have made tremendous contributions and are establishing themselves as leaders of our future generations,” DiVincenzo added.

According to county officials, the Essex County Althea Gibson Leadership Awards are dedicated to the memory of the late professional tennis and golf legend, who was the first African-American to win the Wimbledon Tennis and U.S. Golf Championships. In 1957, Gibson became the first African-American to win the All-England Championship. That same year she became the first black to be voted by the Associated Press as its Female Athlete of the Year. The Althea Gibson Foundation exposes underserved children to the game of tennis and golf, and provides recreational activities for students during the summer.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.