On Monday, August 5, the Cook Center celebrated its latest group of Hank and Billye Suber Aaron Young Scholars with a joyous evening of student research, achievement, and praise at the Washington Duke Inn.
49 students from Durham Public Schoolsâacross two cohortsâconvened to present the research on issues of inequities in health, technology, education, labor, criminal justice, and other topics. Students conducted the research over the prior month: Cohort 1 students were responsible for producing research posters that were shared during the reception event, while Cohort 2 students gave oral presentations of their research to the audience of friends and family.
The ceremony also featured two keynote speakers. Tia Hodges, President & CEO of MetLife and VP of Corporate Giving, Employee Engagement, & Volunteerism at MetLife, encouraged students to use their voices, reminding them that "speaking and speaking up is a gift you give to your audience." The second keynote speaker, Mark Harris, Senior Program Officer of Community and Worker Power for The JPB Foundation, in adapting "an old saying from the 20th century" about thinking globally and acting locally, applauded students for their interest in working to understand systemic inequities. He concluded by urging the students to "come together to use your knowledge and power to make a difference."
After the cohort 2 students delivered their oral presentations, a series of honored guests and speakers delivered concluding remarks, including Dr. Iwinosa Idahor, Student Equity, Engagement, and Opportunity Coordinator for Durham Public Schools; community activist and educator Mrs. Billye Suber Aaron, for whom the program is named; and Mrs. Sylvia Cook, wife of Dr. Samuel DuBois Cook, for whom the Cook Center is named. "You are sparking diamonds that will grow into luminous stars," said Mrs. Cook to the students, "and you will lead the way and make the world a brighter place."
The Cook Center wants to thank Durham Public Schools (DPS) for their partnership and support of this program, as well as the many cohort instructors, student interns, and the various program advocates and coordinators who make this work possible.
To view more details from this yearâs capstone, including the student projects, please visit the Young Scholars page on the Cook Center website.
