From left to right are Houseparent Christine Hurley, resident Milliyon Fesseha and Executive Director Dr. Donnie E. Wheatley. Fesseha won several awards during the banquet, but he was able to win the highest honor a resident of Boys' Home could get, The George Floyd Rogers Award. That award was named in honor of the founder of Boys' Home and it is given to the resident who shows outstanding citizenship, best exemplifies the ideals of Boys' Home and its founder and has a great spirit.

Boys' Home Hosts Annual Awards Banquet   On Thursday night, May 23, Boys’ Home, Inc. hosted its annual Awards Banquet. This event is always described by Executive Director Dr. Donnie Wheatley as the highlight of the year at Boys’ Home. Staff, family, community leaders and residents gathered as awards for academic performance, athletics, community service and leadership were announced. Masters of Ceremonies for the event were Sarah Hundley, Jodie Weidman, Janet Lemmer and Greg Lemmer.      The first batches of awards given out were the athletic awards. Tae Kwon Do instructor Stephen Hodges presented the following received a certificate of participation: T.J. Tritt, Michael Wolfe, Shama Baggott, Bernard Kasozi, Liam Hundley, C.J. Calhoun, Chloe Calhoun, Keith Kakande, Val Johnson, Jeffery Frye, Adam Bragg, Donte’ Chambers and St. Clarence McDowell. Four of the recipients received promotions, Tritt and Wolfe was promoted to the rank of Yellow Belt and Baggott and Hundley was promoted to the rank of Purple Belt. Carl Blacke, campus life manager presented special cottage awards to Tristan Campbell, Antonio Shaw, Sebastian Akhchoun, Nathaniel Hise, Amearie Kagulire, Prince Niringiyimana, Memory ReMine, Justin Lee and Malik Edwards. Several academic awards recognized the efforts by the residents in the classroom this school year and they were presented by Anita Proffitt. For public school students, Bernard Kasozi, Jhakee Avant, Amara Kromah, Christopher Sebina, B. Pressley and Keith Kakande were announced as Good School Citizens. For elementary school, Kasozi earned the highest GPA for the elementary school, Kromah for middle school and Sebina for high school. For the Boys’ Home School, Shama Baggott received honors for the highest gains in reading while Dylan Townsend was honored for the highest gains in math. Bryan Theobald earned several honors as he was named the most improved student, a good school citizen, on the honor roll for the year and had the highest GPA at the Boys’ Home School with a 3.23. Scoring the most points in the accelerated reader program was Dylan Townsend. Joining Theobald on the A/B honor Roll for the entire school year was C.J. McDowell and T.J. Tritt. At the end of the academic awards portion, educators from Callaghan Elementary, Clifton Middle School, Alleghany High School and Boys’ Home School were recognized. Sandra Scruggs and Jerome Johnson presented the Development Awards. Writing awards went to T.J. Tritt, Jhakee Avant, Amara Kromah, Austin Groah, Jovan Vainqueur, Bernard Kasozi, Dylan Townsend, Christopher Sebina and Chris Helms. Ermias Tosatto took second place for the Senior Writer Award while Vainqueur took home first place. B. Pressley, Shama Baggott, Tony Villa-Valencia, Dylan Townsend, Chris Helms and Michael Wolfe were presented The Helping Hands Award. Celebrating Residential Education awards went to Shama Baggott, Ashton San’Felice and Dylan Townsend for reading the most books in the Reading Challenge. Abe Ashebir, Blake Groah and Bernard Kasozi were the three top winners in the Mileage Challenge. Austin Groah, Dylan Townsend, Bryan Theobald and Milliyon Fesseha received the Best Foot Forward Award. Bonnie Wheatley, Farm Manager presented the Support Services awards. The Tree Farm worker of the year was Ermias Tosatto and Farm crew worker of the year was Jeffery Frye. Grounds crew workers of the year for the elementary /middle school was Abe Ashebir and for high school was Michael Wolfe. Pastor Steven Noel from Good News Christian Fellowship Church made a special presentation to Jhakee Avant recognizing his involvement with the church by running sound and doing all of the computer work. The Tice Think About contest is intended to stimulate original thought. Participants pick an original quote and write about what it is means to them. Bryan Theobald placed 3rd, Cozmo Starnes, 2nd and Dylan Townsend placed 1st. The highlight of the awards banquet is the named awards. Milliyon Fesseha won the Sam Cunningham Award for positive attitude. B. Pressley was this year’s winner of the Pete Dimick Scholarship, which provides funds to attend a sports camp of his choice. Michael Wolfe earned the Bill & Lang Wilson Scholarship which is given to a resident who enrolls at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College and was presented by Mr. & Mrs. Bill Wilson. Jhakee Avant earned the Joseph & Hilda Dent Scholarship which was presented by Boys’ Home supporter, Mr. I.B. Dent. A new named award is the Steven Rogers Memorial Award, Rogers was the brother of current houseparent Scott Massey. Rogers passed away in 2004 after a battle with cancer. The first recipient of this award is Adam Bragg. Bragg also received the David C. Hall Award presented by Cassandra Brookman. Jhakee Avant won the Barry D. Mays Award for displaying the skills needs for self-sufficiency. Ermias Tosatto won the Berlin & Frances Lineberry Scholarship which is given to a resident who enrolls in vocational training or community college. Avant and Jovan Vainqueur shared the Madeline S. Mumford Scholarship which is given to a young man who enrolls in community college, trade school or a vo-tech program. Tosatto kept up his winning ways in the named awards by winning the Matt Foster Scholarship presented by his family Jodi Emerson. He also tied for the Michael Folland Award along with Vainqueur. The Folland award is voted on by residents and emphasizes unselfish commitment to friends. The highest honor of the night, the George Floyd Rogers Award went to Milliyon Fesseha. Fesseha will have his name engraved on The George F. Rogers Award as the winner of that prestigious award. The Rogers Award is voted on by the staff in recognition of outstanding citizenship.      The awards banquet is always a special night for the residents of Boys’ Home because they get recognized for their hard work and growth of character. Staff, guests and families are always proud of what these young men can accomplish if given the opportunity to do so.

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