On October 4, three Allentown School District students received awards at the My Brother’s Keeper Lehigh Valley Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration. The three students – Mariah Cancel and Jose Murphy, Dieruff, and Luis Morales, William Allen – were honored and recognized for their commitment to academics and their communities.
Mariah Cancel, a senior at Dieruff, was presented with the Latina Perseverance Award. Mariah's high school career started with a number of challenges, but in 10th grade year she made a conscious change and start investing in herself and in her future. With the support of important people in her life, and with her own self-commitment to change her trajectory, Mariah rotated her future course towards success. Change is not easy, and true change requires grit, concentration, and stamina. Today, Mariah is a true example of a young woman's ability to truly change, set a goal, and stay focused on that goal no matter what. Her future is now rich with possibilities and opportunities.
