International Educators' Hall of Fame Holds Festive Gala in Orange County
Santa Ana, CA (PRWEB) October 27, 2015 -- Twenty-eight educators were honored at the Youth-on-the-Move International Educators' Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony now in its 22nd year for having gone "beyond-the-call-of-duty." The following nations were represented at the ceremony: Guatemala, China, Mexico, Italy, USA, Germany, Peru, Nigeria, India, South Africa, Muskegee Nation (Native American) and the Creek Nation (Native American).
Sylvia Gutierrez and John Favors, Jr. officiated the awards ceremony as the EmCees. Opening the ceremony were the color guards by the NJROTC (Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp) of Santa Ana High School, with the National Anthem performed by Caralyn Percy, and an invocation from ministers of different faiths: Bob Adams (Church of Scientology), Minister Gary McKinney (2nd Baptist Church of Santa Ana), John Windes (The Creek Nation) and Dr. John Peters (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).
CEO and Founder of the Youth-on-the-Move International Educators' Hall of Fame, Dr. Patricia Adelekan, highlighted the history and purpose of the connection between the Youth-on-the-Move, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth educational group and the International Educators' Hall of Fame: "Youth-on-Move, Inc. started in 1985 out of a need to find positive role models and mentors to help youth succeed in life." In 1993, The Educators' Hall of Fame was created to help supply some of the positive community role models. "It takes a village to raise a child," added Adelekan. "So we engaged educators and other positive role models to help our youth succeed."
Awards were presented by Educators' Hall of Fame board members: Mr. Al Wilson, Mrs. Vikki Walker and Dr. Pat Adelekan; Beatrice Mendoza, a representative from the Office of Congresswoman Lorretta Sanchez; and a 2014 Alumni of the International Educators' Hall of Fame, Dr. Lawrence B. DeGraaf, Professor Emeritus, California State University, Fullerton.
The full list of this year's honorees included: Mr. Kenneth Wayne Buckles, Susan Cooper, Bishop Franklin J. Harris, Dr. DeVera H. Heard, Lt. Colonel Alexander Jefferson, Adela G. Lόpez M.A., Anthony Prescott Malaj, Richard T. "Rick" Martinez, Harry G. Oliver USN (ret), Caralyn Bell Percy, Dr. Essie French Preston, Paul "El Jefe" Riordan, Ms. Frances M. Rios, Rev. Linda Smith, J Ramon Villanueva, Margaret Ware, Mrs. Neena Jacob from India, Commodore Ayinla and Mrs. Christianah Onawale from Nigeria, West Africa and Dr. Thamsanqa Wilkinson Kambule from South Africa.
Groups and families inducted included the Gonzalo Mendez Family, the Lorenzo A. Ramirez Family and the William Guzman Family--famous for the Mendez vs. Westminster case (mid-1940's), which fought segregation of Mexican children from White Schools in Orange County and paved the way for desegregation of schools across the United States.
Also inducted were the Iberall Family (all educators consisting of the deceased father, Dr. Arthur S. Iberall; the 102 year old mother still living, Helene R. of Laguna Woods, CA; and their 4 daughters: Dr. Eleanora Robbins; Penni I. Rubin; Dr. Thea Iberall; and Val O'Conner).
Then there was R.Y.T.M.O. (Reaching Youth Through Music Opportunities), a nonprofit program with a mission to "educate, equip and empower youth through music, technology and the arts."
Inducted with honors was W.E.B. Dubois (1868-1963), the first Black person to graduate from Harvard University, an educator, writer, sociologist, scholar and American civil rights activist. He was one of the most significant civil rights activists of the first half of the 20th century and co-founded the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People); educator and humanitarian, L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986), for his work in the field of education and technology to aid learning and increase literacy levels. His technology is in use by over 100,000 educators and 28 million students worldwide. Also posthumously inducted were educators Louis Alex Preston, Sr. (1935-2010) and Dr. Valarie Omega Justiss Vance, (1913-2015).
The event took place at 505 N. Sycamore Street, Santa Ana, CA, a historic landmark and the former Santa Ana Performing Arts & Event Center building—today, it is the home of the Church of Scientology of Orange County.
The International Educators' Hall of Fame was established in 1993 in Sacramento, California, USA to honor educators of all levels and disciplines who performed extraordinary service and achievements in fields of science, medicine, the arts, tourism, sports, law and other disciplines. The honorees are often "Firsts," "Pioneers," "Trailblazers" and "Survivors."
"It is where great souls are gathered for their accomplishments, unselfish, giving and courageous," said Dr. Patricia Adelekan, its founder and veteran educator of over fifty-five years. The Inductees hail from all parts of the United States and the world. The Educators' Hall of Fame expanded its ceremonies overseas to Cairo, Egypt, in 1997, and to Memphis, Tennessee, USA, in Feb.,1998. In 1999, the Hall of Fame spread to The San Francisco Bay Area and Nigeria, West Africa. Eligibility requires that the educator must have "exceeded the-call-of-duty", be retired, or have participated in the education area for at least 20 years.
For more information about International Educators' Hall of Fame visit http://www.educatorshalloffame.org.
Dr. Patricia Adelekan, Youth on the Move, Inc., 714 628 9844, [email protected]
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