COD names MLK scholarship recipients

College of DuPage recently selected the recipients of this year's Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship.

The $1,000 award is given to three students selected based on MLK-related essays they submitted late last year.

Recipients were honored at the 17th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, held Jan. 17, at Benedictine University in Lisle.

This year's recipients are Jocelyn Garza of Itasca and Cassandra Sakellariou of Aurora. Each nominee was asked to provide in detail how Martin Luther King's ideals have made a direct impact on their lives and how the students in turn plan to impact the lives of others based on those ideals.

Garza, a second year Honors student planning to pursue a career as a clinical psychologist, and Sakellariou, an Honors student studying Information Technology, expressed their thanks to committee members who selected them.

“Thanks to Dr. King, we now live in a country where we're not judged solely by the color of our skin, but the quality of our character,” Garza said.

The event, which honors the legacy of the civil rights leader and celebrates the diversity of community colleges, featured speaker Mawi Asgedom, educator, author and President of Mental Karate.

“In saying this man, Martin Luther King Jr., represents the best of our country, we want to elevate him to show our kids that his importance is seen by people of all backgrounds,” Asgedom said.

Visit www.flickr.com/photos/codnewsroom/sets/72157628930576685/ to see photos from the event.