View this message on our website: [link removed]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Days before much of the country went into lockdown in March, we made the difficult decision to cancel our celebration of the five incredible D.C.-area high school seniors who made up our 2020 class of Beat the Odds® honorees.
While these young people had a lot to look forward to during their senior years in high school, the global pandemic meant they missed the chance to dance at their senior prom, walk proudly across the stage at graduation, and celebrate their Beat the Odds awards in person. The loss of this opportunity to be showered in admiration and congratulations became one of many milestones missed.
That's why we're spending this week virtually celebrating the resilience, academic excellence, and commitment to social change that these young people personify. It is with great honor that I introduce these five exceptional honorees and invite you to join us in congratulating them as they begin their journeys to college and beyond.
Meet the honorees:
Adeolu Adetayo
Adeolu is a patient teacher and caring mentor to children in his community, and his thoughtfulness shines through in everything he does.
Diana Contreras
An immigrant herself, Diana has become a fierce and determined advocate for more inclusive, fair, and humane treatment of immigrants in her community and throughout the US.
Frederick (Caleb) Davy
Refusing to be defined by lifelong illness, Caleb is a rigorous student, active in extracurricular activities, and a selfless volunteer at Children's National Hospital.
Jazmen McBride
Jazmen has faced challenges no child should encounter, but through those experiences, she has become a strong advocate for herself and others.
Jatsuka (Mikaela) Pozo
Motivated by the realities in her school and her community, Mikaela's passion and purpose is to advocate for social justice, women's empowerment, and immigrant rights.
Since it began in 1990, the Beat the Odds program has served more than 150 young people in the Washington, D.C. region and is currently supporting 30 high school and college students with programming and scholarships. Among this year's five exceptional honorees, we see examples of the challenges no child should face, as well as the incredible promise that exists in every child.
Join us in uplifting, motivating, and supporting these honorees as they continue to show us the power of unlimited potential.
With gratitude,
Yasmin Cespedes-Zaman
Beat the Odds® Program Coordinator
P.S. Please consider making a gift to the Children's Defense Fund in honor of the incredible class of 2020, to ensure that we can continue the fight to break down the types of barriers these young people should never have had to face.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Facebook: [link removed]
Twitter: [link removed]
Instagram: [link removed]
YouTube: [link removed]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe: [link removed]
View this message on our website: [link removed]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Children's Defense Fund: [link removed]
All rights reserved
Click the link below to view this message as HTML in your browser:
[link removed]
Click the link below to forward this message:
[link removed]
Click the link below to change your email preferences:
[link removed]
