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Information for Students

Photo: student looking at portrait of Sojourner TruthCongratulations! You have been nominated as an outstanding student in Orange County. As a result, you have been awarded SUNY Orange's 34th annual Sojourner Truth Award. The award is named in honor of Sojourner Truth, who lived in the mid-Hudson Valley region after escaping from slavery.  Ms. Truth is hailed as one of the most distinguished and highly-regarded women of the nineteenth century.

The goal is to recognize you for your accomplishments and to encourage you to consider attending college after you graduate from high school. 

If you wish to be included and participate in the ceremony, you must complete the Electronic Response Card using this link: STAP Electronic Response by March 1, 2024 indicating whether you will or will not attend.  

Failure to respond by March 1st could result in your not being permitted to participate in the ceremony.

This program honors students for achievements in the areas of:

  • Athletics
  • Citizenship
  • Creative Arts
  • Diversity
  • English Language Arts
  • Foreign Languages
  • Mathematics
  • Perseverance / Effort
  • Sciences
  • Technology

What to know:

  • Your teacher, guidance counselor, or principal has selected you to receive a Sojourner Truth Award.
  • As an outstanding student you were chosen to receive an award based on the criteria listed above
  • Your teacher was asked to submit your nomination no later than February 2, 2024.
  • Once all nominations have been submitted, a congratulatory letter will be mailed to each student along with the comments written by the teacher who submitted the nomination.
  • All students nominated will receive an award.

What to expect at the ceremony:

  • The program will be held on Friday, March 8, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at SUNY Orange in the Physical Education Building located on East Conkling Avenue, in Middletown, NY.  It is important that you arrive by 5:00 p.m. in order to allow time for seating arrangements as the program starts promptly at 6:00 p.m.  The duration of the program is approximately 2 hours.
  • All students are encouraged to wear proper attire.  Students may want to give their coats and belongings to their parents/guests due to limited space in the student seating area.
  • Upon arrival students will be guided to their seating area markied by each school district.  Parents will be guided to family/guest seating area.
  • Check in with your school's liaison.  She/He will be wearing a badge/SUNY Orange attire.  They will provide you with a name card.  Hold onto the card as you will be asked to hand this card to the college personnel before crossing the stage.
  • When it is time for the distribution of the awards, each district will be asked to proceed to stage guided by SUNY Orange personnel.  You will hand your name card to the reader, proceed across the stage to receive your medal and be guided back to your seat.
  • All students who attend the ceremony will receive a medal.  For those students who are not in attendance medals will be mailed to the appropriate school.  All Certificates will be mailed to your school during the month of April 2024 to be distributed to you by school personnel. 

Any additional questions you have regarding the nomination process, the ceremony, or if you or a family member or guest needing special accommodations due to a disability you can contact Dolores Jones at (845) 341-4000 or email dolores.jones@sunyorange.edu