A Whitehall High School graduate was honored with an award during East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania’s 29th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration breakfast Jan. 19. Students were recognized as winners of the 2026 Boddie Scholarship, Martin Luther King Jr. awards and the Julianna and Wayne Bolt Art Contest.

The Mary Gertrude Smith Boddie Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to undergraduate students who demonstrate a commitment to social justice through community and/or university service. In 1904, Boddie was the first African-American student to graduate from what was then known as East Stroudsburg State Normal School, which became East Stroudsburg University in 1983.

The Mary Gertrude Smith Boddie Scholarship recipients are Celeste Yunez-Cosme, a junior biology major from Whitehall; Khaleel Theophile, a junior majoring in computer science from Sicklerville, N.J.; Miguel Charlery, a junior majoring in business management from St. Lucia; and T’kyla Moody, a junior majoring in criminal justice from Philadelphia. The four students each received a $4,200 scholarship award for the spring 2026 semester.

Yunez-Cosme comes from a Puerto Rican and Colombian heritage. Growing up in a large family with a spectrum of skin colors, she said she quickly learned that love and respect surpass surface differences. Yunez-Cosme’s commitment to cultural diversity and equality is best reflected through engagement with organizations that empower minority voices.

As a member of MANA and involved with National Hispanic Institute, she has been able to participate in mentorship and events dedicated to lifting young women of color. These experiences furthered her understanding that true equality requires dedicated support systems that see and value every individual’s background.

Growing up, she went with her mother to her grandmother’s doctors’ appointments. It was then, she said, that she saw how her grandmother, who speaks little English, would struggle to receive adequate care if she and her mother had not been there to translate. Seeing how language barriers limited her access to quality health care pushed Yunez-Cosme to pursue a career as a physician assistant, where she hopes to bridge the gap for others. To further that goal, she joined the ESU Sign Language Club to expand her ability to communicate with and advocate for more patients in the future.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Award recipients exemplify the characteristics of King’s philosophy of nonviolence, equality, justice, cultural diversity and respect for humanity. Awards were presented to Mariam Juya, an ESU student; Dr. Samuel Ebow Quainoo, a member of ESU’s faculty; and Charece N. Sanders, a member of the local community.

There were 69 entries to the Julianna and Wayne Bolt Art Contest this year. The entries came from East Stroudsburg High School North, East Stroudsburg High School South, Stroudsburg High School, Pleasant Valley High School and Pocono Mountain High School East. Payton Hoop from Pocono Mountain East High School won first place, Vanessa Mirra from East Stroudsburg South High School earned second place, and Guinevere Neils from Stroudsburg High School was awarded third place. Grace Gao from Stroudsburg High School and Justin Acosta from East Stroudsburg South High School were each awarded honorable mentions. All entries were displayed in ESU’s Madelon Powers Gallery after the celebration breakfast.