souvenir ad book - bloomington-normal act-so

10th Annual

Souvenir Ad Book

June 7, 2020 Virtual

Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics

10th ANNUAL BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL ACT-SO AWARDS CEREMONY

BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL ACT-SO CHAIRPERSON

Dear ACT-SO friends and supporters:

The NAACP’s Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) represents thebest in student achievement and provides a forum though which students can demonstrateacademic, artistic and scientific prowess and expertise. Olympians have the opportunity tocompete in STEM, Humanities, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and Business.

The 10th Annual Bloomington-Normal NAACP ACT-SO Competition and Award Ceremony arevirtual for the very first time! The local gold medalist will compete at the national level amonghundreds of students from across the nation for scholarships and other awards provided bynational sponsors. Over the past ten years, we have awarded 47 gold, 39 silver, and 36 bronzelocal medals. Our gold medal Olympians have brought home three bronze, three silver and sixgold national medals!

ACT-SO students who attend monthly enrichment sessions and complete their competitionproject can compete in the local competition. Five of our students met this challenge. Werecognize and celebrate the accomplishments of Jacquelyn Alzebdieh, Simone Lee, AmbriaMaddox, Alexander Phillips, and Aniya Thompson. These Olympians began establishing theirgoals nine months ago. They worked with mentors and coaches to shape their ideas andperfect their projects. We are extremely proud of them, and we wish each of them good luckthis evening!

Sincere gratitude is extended to our sponsors: Bloomington-Normal NAACP; State Farm; IllinoisState University’s Office of the President, Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences, andFamily and Consumer Sciences; COUNTRY Financial; The Pantagraph; and, Boy Scouts of AmericaW.D. Boyce Council. Their generous support makes ACT-SO possible and is vital to the success ofour program. On behalf of the ACT-SO participants, we thank them!

We also value our partnerships with Bloomington School District 87, McLean County Unit SchoolDistrict No.5, and Illinois State University Laboratory Schools.

ACT-SO is fortunate to have the talent and commitment of so many selfless volunteers who workdiligently to plan, develop, and implement its programmatic activities.…our parents, mentors,coaches, judges, and committee members. Thank you!

With appreciation,

Carol M. de la Cruz ChairpersonBloomington-Normal NAACP ACT-SO

Valerie WyattCo-Chair and FounderBloomington-Normal NAACP ACT-SO

https://youtu.be/mvJKZi2SLs0

Ricardo Cortez de la Cruz, II

2014 National Silver

Poetry-Written

Las Vegas, NV

2011 National Bronze

Poetry-Written

Los Angeles, CA

Jack Bynum

2017 National Gold

Filmmaking

Baltimore, MD

2019 National Gold

Filmmaking

Detroit, MI

Jordyn Blythe


Oratory

San Antonio, TX

2017 National Gold

Oratory

Baltimore, MD

2016 National Gold

Dramatics

Cincinnati, OH

Tierra Shickel


Poetry-Written

Baltimore, MD

Carley Williams


Original Essay

Houston, TX

Alexis Starks

2018 National Gold

Photography

San Antonio, TX

2017 National Gold

Photography

Baltimore, MD


Photography

Cincinnati, OH

BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL ACT-SO NATIONAL MEDALISTS 2011 - 2020

Ambria Maddox


Sculpture

Virtual

ACT-SO 2019

Gold Medalists:

Jacquelyn Alzebdieh – Bloomington High School – Poetry-Written

Jack Bynum – Normal Community High School – Filmmaking

Yasimine Hamilton - Bloomington High School – Dance

Alexander Phillips – Bloomington High School – Oratory

Aniya Thompson – Normal Community High School – Music Vocal Contemporary

Silver Medalists:

Rozilyn Alzebdieh – Bloomington High School – Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture

Bronze Medalists:

Keajia Hardin – Normal Community High School, Bloomington Area Career Center – Culinary Arts

Alexander Phillips – Bloomington High School – Poetry-Performance

Aniya Thompson – Normal Community High School – Dramatic Arts: Acting

BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL ACT-SO 2019 LOCAL MEDALISTS

BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL ACT-SO 2011 - 2014 LOCAL MEDALISTS

Our 2020Bloomington-Normal

NAACP ACT-SO Participants

Introducing…

“Don’t think about making art. Just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad,

whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” -Andy Warhol

Not everyone will like what I write. Not everyone will like what I draw. Honestly, if I know I did my

best then it’s a beautiful piece of art.

Hi, my name is Jackie and I’m learning to never say “I cannot”. I first joined ACT-SO during my

freshman year back in 2016. I found out about ACT-SO through another enrichment group

called Petals. Petals is (known as Providing Education and Training to Achieve Lasting

Success) which is exactly what they did when informing me about ACT-SO. At the time, I was

growing and was trying to figure out where I fit in. I thought this group was meant for smarter

teens, I thought this group was meant for those with darker complexions. I felt like this was not

the group for me. The associates and administrators of this branch persuaded me to stay. I'm

elated that I did because I gained a family. I realized that it wasn’t about who’s smarter, it was

about learning to grow as an individual. They helped me realize there's so much I can do with

my life. I wish throughout the years I would’ve known how helpful and motivational this group is.

This year, I will be competing in written poetry (as usual). But also, I’m taking a leap of faith and

participating in drawing. ACT-SO teaches you to step out of your comfort zone and just try. I am

more than confident in their advice. Win or lose I gained some very important skill sets.

I've become an early graduate from Bloomington High School. With this horrible epidemic, I'm

hoping to still walk with the class of 2020 in May. I've taken honors

classes and early college classes. I’ve been accepted into over 20 different colleges, but

hopefully will be attending IUPUI in the fall majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in

Psychology. I have received the Harry Hightower Award for my acts of volunteer service in our

community. Some of the most memorable volunteer activities would be Best Buddies and also

head farmer of our community garden. I couldn’t have done any of what I’ve achieved today

without ACT-SO. I’m very excited to start my next journey with the life skills influenced by ACT-

SO.

Jacquelyn AlzebdiehBloomington High School, Senior

■ Drawing ■ Poetry-Written

Simone Lee

My name is Simone Lee. I will be competing in the STEM category for ACT-SO. I am currently a

freshman at Bloomington High School. Two of my favorite classes are health and math. Some of

my favorite sports to do are dance and track and field. In the future I would like to be a nursing

assistant and attend Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. I am also in an organization

called Jack and Jill. I will be running for recording secretary for next year. Some of my favorite

things to do in my free time are baking, running, hanging out with friends, sleeping, going

shopping and painting my nails. I also love to cook in my free time, especially since we are in

quarantine currently. My grandma also in Congress. Her name is Barbara lee. She recently just

got married in January and me and my sister were bridesmaids at her wedding ceremony. The

project that I will be presenting is a 3D rainbow display.

I will also be coding the raspberry pi to reflect the rainbow onto the display. Some of my favorite

things about ACTSO are the mentors and the environment that you are in and the different fun

things that you can do with the organization. I just recently joined ACTSO this year and I have

had such a great experience with it and I hope to do it next year. It is such a good environment to

be in and I loved being a part of it. I am so excited to be competing in the STEM category.

I have learned so much being part of ACTSO. One of my good friends, Alex is also a part of it.

Something else is that they have taught me how to speak up to a crowd and be confident in

myself. When I was little, I also was in a program called speaking up for success and in that

organization you had to do a speech in front of a bunch of people. I also was involved in a STEM

camp at State Farm. One of my weaknesses is coding and I hope to get better at it in the future. I

am very excited to do ACTSO again next year because it was such a good experience my

freshman year of high school. I hope to do ACTSO next year as well and thank you guys for such

a good experience.

Bloomington High School, Freshman ■ Computer Science

Ambria Maddox

Ambria Maddox is a Senior at Normal Community High School. She is the daughter of Jerome

and Frances Maddox. Ambria currently serves as Vice President for the NCHS Student Union.

Since her Junior year she has actively completed dual credit courses. She was also selected as

one of 22 students to participate in the Innovative Entrepreneurs course during her senior year.

This exclusive year-long course focuses on engaging with business leaders, while creating

business plans and projects, funding, design feasibility and problem solving in the business

world.

She has successfully completed two IDEO Stanford University Certifications, Human Centered

Design, and Design Thinking. This spring she will attend Disney University, and later will

showcase her start up business plan to a panel of Entrepreneurs & Investors.

Ambria has received the NAACP Harry Hightower Award and the Girls World, Merit Award. For

two consecutive years, she will have served on the Girls World Advisory Board. In addition, she

has served as a mentee, and competed nationally in the 100 Black Men’s African American

History Challenge and the Dollars and $ense, competition earning 3rd and 2nd place respectively.

Ambria is committed to serving her community by supporting the Americas Gold Star Families

organization. She has created over 300 ornaments for the Fallen Hero Tree of Honor project,

which honors our fallen military heroes, and also provides hope and healing for Gold Star

families. The largest tree (14 feet) is hosted in the Peoria RiverFront Museum. Since the age of

10, Ambria has wanted to be a successful fashion designer, to sew and make bold fashion

statements. Ambria aspires to make a name for herself through her self-started fashion design

business. She plans to complete her general studies at Heartland Community College, and

transfer to Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, pursuing a Bachelors of Fine Arts in

Fashion Design.

Normal Community High School, Senior

■ Entrepreneurship ■ Painting ■ Sculpture

Alexander Phillips

Jackson “Alexander” Phillips, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, is a sophomore at Bloomington High

School. Since the First Grade, Alexander has been a part of numerous art projects and art

schools. Growing up as an African American in the South who was exposed to the culture, history,

and challenges his ancestors went through has carried on with Alexander into the present day.

These experiences have been further vocalized by Alexander Phillips in the form of artwork,

declamations, and slam poetry in regards to extracurricular activities, he has been a proud

member of the Bloomington-Normal Illinois Chapter of Jack and Jill of America for 6 years in which

he has served as Regional Teen Parliamentarian and Regional Teen President.

He has also been voted Best Speaker for the People’s Choice Awards in 2016 and First Place in

the Oratorical Competition for the 2017 Central Region Conferences of Jack and Jill of America

Inc. Alexander is a qualifier for the 2017 IHSA State Competition for the Bloomington High School

Speech Team. He is currently a dancer in Bloomington High School’s Spring Musical, Cinderella.

In addition to participation in the Speech Team and the Drama Department, Alexander Phillips is a

member of the school’s Musical Department, Pride Club, and he has served as a founder and Vice

President of Bloomington High School’s Black Student Union.

Alexander is currently competing in the NAACP’s ACT-SO competition. Alexander Phillips will be

competing in Oratory and Poetry Performance.

Bloomington High School, Sophomore

■ Oratory ■ Poetry Performance ■ Written Poetry

Kaylin Richards

Born February 4, 2003, 17-year-oldKaylin Elaine Richards has performed vocally since the tinder age of three

years old. Even now at such a young age, Kaylin Elaine gives her audience a powerful and sultry sound that can

only be described as,"...that young, old school". Her music is best known for its positivity and empowerment.

At 6 years old, Kaylin was the youngest classical piano student to train with Illinois Wesleyan University. Her

love for music later grew into an overall love of the arts. At 10 years old Kaylin made her theatrical debut in “Girl

Have You Heard? Jesus Loves You!” with X-odus Productions. She went on to perform leading roles in the

Broadway Jr. Production of ‘The Lion King” where she captivated the audience as “Mufasa” and with the

Community Players Theater. Though she has performed for thousands, at multiple arenas including the Redbird

Arena and what is now known as The Grossinger Arena, nothing gives her a greater sense of pride than being

an academic over achiever and being civically engaged.

Kaylin is a proud member of the NAACP, recognizing the organization’s commitment to social justice and

equality for all people. In fact, she served as a featured speaker and performed vocally in support of the

Bloomington-Normal chapter 100th year anniversary celebration. She has also provided her voice of comfort to

honor Gold Star families and veterans’ families in ceremonies across the state of Illinois for over three years.

Kaylin’s leadership abilities have been recognized by her peers, resulting in her serving as President of the

Bloomington High School Chorus; previously, she served as the Secretary of the Bloomington High School

Chorus and was elected Freshman Class President at Bloomington High School.

In 2018, Kaylin competed in the NAACP ACT-SO competition and won the gold medal. She competed nationally

in San Antonio, Texas, representing Bloomington in the vocal contemporary category. Kaylin Richards is also

the recipient of the 2016 YICU –For A Better Tomorrow Service Award. This award honors young leaders who

make a positive impact on others’ lives and their community through everyday actions in their neighborhoods,

schools, social service agencies or through voluntary service to others both locally and globally. However, most

recently and one of her proudest moments was being honored as the 2020 Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Award

recipient.

In her free time Kaylin has found ways to engage in social justice efforts through her participation with Illinois Art

Station -The Teen Collective; where she provides thought leadership on how to engage youth in the community

and explore social justice through visual arts. In 2019, Kaylin created and implemented a popular social juice

community art project that was on display for a 3-day series at Illinois State University.

Though busy investing in her community and maintaining her academic studies, Kaylin Elaine began working

with a community entertainment organization, called Media-Cation Foundation, Inc. With their help she released

her first unsigned artist single entitled, "I See The Sun", which is available at Apple Music

andwww.kaylinelaine.com. All of the proceeds from the single have been used to fund programs that support

youth focused entertainment education and training. It’s her way of paying it forward. Stay tuned because more

great things are in store for Kaylin Richards.

Bloomington High School, Senior

■ Music Vocal, Contemporary

My body was once not my own. My feet moved as they pleased, and my heart created its own

beat. My voice spoke in rhythms as my brain produced these sounds I have never heard before.

I’ve never been bothered because these masterpieces my body would create were powerful. My

chest moved ahead on its own as if to lead me away into a land unknown, a land where all my

ideas were mine. I sang out my feelings and acted out what could not be said. My new way of life

without regret.

My name is Aniya Thompson and my body now accepts everything with open hands. This body

that I once did not control, now guides me to greater, more powerful things. My voice now belts

past the wall that once held me back.

I was born on August 17, 2003 to Tameka and Calvin Thompson in Chicago, IL. I lived in Chicago

before moving to Bloomington-Normal and I’ve called it home for many years. I have a younger

sister and an older brother whom I love so dearly. I have always found love in music. I fell in love

with the feeling of music. There’s something about the way beats and rhythms appeal to my

sensa. I have been in every music class and musical since kindergarten. I am a “teacher’s pet”

when it comes to my music teachers. My mentor, Rebbeca Johnson, has always pushed me to do

my very best. Whenever I feel like I cannot keep going, I am able push past my limits and I feel so

powerful and free. Singing is my way of expressing myself and my passions.

I have grown a liking for theatre and every aspect of the art. I love acting and performing with

everything that I am. Since freshman year, Miz Kevin Vernon has given me the opportunity to be a

part of every production our school puts on. It has been a great honor working with her. In my

sophomore year, I stepped into directing and stage managing. My favorite role was in the Illinois

High School Theatre Fest’s All State production of Aida, as Nehebka. I was among the best in the

state and it was a great honor to work with extremely talented people. Many doors have been

opened because I chose to show myself in a vulnerable way. I hope to further my knowledge in

Musical Theatre and Education in my years to come.

Normal Community High School, Junior

■ Dramatics ■ Music Vocal Contemporary ■ Poetry Performance

Aniya Thompson

Faeq Zaman

My name is Faeq Zaman. Born and raised in Bloomington, IL, I am currently a senior at Normal

Community High School. With a goal to become a well-rounded individual, I heavily involve

myself in multiple extracurriculars. I am a member of Normal Community’s Student Council,

Math Team, Technology Club, Peer Leadership Club, Future Business Leaders of America

(FBLA), and Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA). These clubs have really helped

me develop life-long skills and narrow my interests, and so after graduating in May, I plan to

pursue a career in medicine by attending the Illinois Institute of Technology along with an early

acceptance program to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

I look forward to majoring in biomedical engineering so that I can develop a technological

background before becoming a physician. I’ve always loved math and the sciences, and I’m

confident that I will excel in these subjects during my college education as well. I am fascinated

by the intricacies of the human body, so I decided to study medicine because I want to learn

more about how our body’s systems interact and how illnesses can be better prevented or

treated.

Apart from academics, I also have a passion for sports. My main athletic commitment right now

is being a competitive table tennis player. As a member of USA Table Tennis, I regularly

compete in sanctioned tournaments. Although table tennis is not very popular in the U.S., the

sport has been the basis of my personal development. While competing, I’ve exhibited both

persistence and patience, traits that really come in handy almost everywhere. I also love playing

recreational basketball. Basketball is not only a stress-reliever for me, but it is also a way for me

to make more connections.

In addition to academics and sports, I am a dedicated Muslim. I work to strengthen my faith in

Islam and promote brotherhood around my community. At the Islamic Center of McLean County,

I am a Sunday school teacher, youth mentor, and events coordinator.

Normal Community High School, Senior ■ Physics

Shariq Zaman

My name is Shariq Zaman. I was born and raised in the beautiful city of Bloomington, IL for the past

17 years along with my two brothers, Mohammed and Faeq. Currently, I’m a senior at Normal

Community High School, soon to be graduating this coming May 2020.I’ve always had a love for the

sciences. This passion along with my strengths in both mathematics and science courses have led to

my career goal: going to medical school and becoming a physician.

For the next four years, I will be fulfilling this dream at the Illinois Institute of Technology,

where I will pursue an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering and have an

early acceptance to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine to begin my medical

training for the following four years. As of now, I’m interested in a variety of medical

fields. Orthopedic surgery, radiology, and ophthalmology are some of the potential areas I might dive

into.

Along with my medical aspirations, I’m dedicated to becoming a well-rounded individual.

To me, this means being committed to succeeding in academia, staying active in my

favorite sports and strengthening my faith as a Muslim. In high school, I challenged

myself by taking a wide range of courses in order to explore different career options and

reach my full potential as a student. I involved myself in several student organizations,

including Student Council, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Health Occupations

Students of America (HOSA), Math Team, Peer Leadership Club and others. These clubs have

undoubtedly helped me grow as a student and better understand where my interests lie.

From a young age, my brothers and I have always loved playing basketball and table tennis. We

practice with each other and compete in USA Table Tennis sanctioned tournaments. As for

basketball, my brothers and I love playing recreationally in intramural leagues and organizing large-

scale tournaments in our Muslim community. Aside from academics and sports, I stay connected with

my local mosque, the Islamic Center of McLean County (ICMC), where I am a youth

mentor/coordinator and a Sunday School teacher. In preparation for medicine, I have continued to

involve myself in community service, volunteer at hospitals, shadow physicians, work in a cadaver

dissection lab, and participate in research. In the cadaver lab, learning extensively about human

anatomy and physiology has been an incredible experience, one that I will cherish for the rest of my

life. To cap off my final year of high school, I’ve been able to do research with a focus in biochemistry,

which is the ACT-SO STEM category I will be competing in this year.

Normal Community High School, Senior

■ Chemistry/ Biochemistry

Congratulations to our 2020

Bloomington-Normal ACT-SO

Medalists!

Ambria MaddoxPainting

Alexander PhillipsOratory

Aniya Thompson Music Vocal-Contemporary

Ambria MaddoxSculpture

Jacquelyn AlzebdiehPoetry-Written

Jacquelyn AlzebdiehDrawing

Gold

Silver

Congratulations to

Aniya Thompson!

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