Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration Steering Committee recognizes students, community member during annual event
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration Steering Committee awarded several honors during its annual event on Sunday, February 8, presented by Aiken Technical College (Aiken Tech) and the University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA).
Among the awards were the Human and Civil Rights Champion Awards. The honor is awarded to one Aiken area community member and one student each from Aiken Tech and USC Aiken.
The 2026 Human and Civil Rights Champions are:
Community Award: Eugene White Jr.’s dedication to advancing human and civil rights in the Aiken County community has been permanently ingrained into the region's history. During his eight-year tenure as President of the Aiken County NAACP Branch, the organization earned recognition as the best branch in the state of South Carolina and one of the top mid-size branches in the nation. Additionally, White helped establish a coalition of community partners who successfully advocated for $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to develop an accelerator for Black entrepreneurs and achievement that will have a lasting economic impact. White is also a part of the following organizations in the Aiken area, such as the Psi Omega Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, and the Royal Aikenites.
Aiken Tech Student Award: Alice Brown serves her campus as the president of the Student Government Association and is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and the Christian Life Club. She also serves as a work-study student in the Office of Student Success and Retention and is part of Aiken Tech’s welding program. Brown devotes her time to community service, volunteering more than 20 hours each week at the Unity Outreach Church, helping families in need and spreading encouragement.
USCA Student Award: August Beltran has worked diligently to create the Diversity Advocates student organization that integrates with community members and advocates across a variety of issues and populations. She has also participated in research through the psychology department on campus to better understand school belongingness and what factors contribute to or harm students' emotions. Beltran has presented some of her findings at the regional Southeastern Psychological Association and is submitting further research this year.
The committee also recognized winners of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. poster and essay contests. Kindergarten through fifth-grade students in Aiken County were invited to participate in the poster contest.
The winners for the kindergarten to second-grade category were:
- First Place: Clairabell Shealy, Busbee Elementary School
- Second Place: Kennedy Swartz, Busbee Elementary
- Third Place: Lyla Roberts, Warrenville Elementary
The winners for the third through fifth grades category were:
- First Place: Zoey Murray, Busbee Elementary
- Second Place: Pyper Carter-Brown, Aiken Elementary
- Third Place: Kylah Harley, Aiken Elementary
Aiken County students in sixth through 12th grades were invited to participate in an essay contest. The winners for the middle school category were:
- First Place: Elysia Sadsad, Scholfield Middle
- Second Place: Sunariah Smith, Scholfield Middle
- Third Place: Blaise Jenkins, LBC Middle
The winners for the high school category were:
- First Place: Semaya Bush, Aiken Scholars Academy
- Second Place: Nathan Ard, Mead Hall Episcopal
- Third Place: Landon Spaeth, Mead Hall Episcopal School
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