The Ann Arbor Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People recognized 249 Ann Arbor Public Schools high school students at their annual Freedom Fund Dinner. The students were recognized for maintaining a 3.2 grade point average or above during the 2025-26 school year.
The theme of this year’s Freedom Fund Dinner was “We the People, Civil Rights Through Responsible Innovation and Technology” with a focus on technology for lifting all people up, rather than putting technology over people.
Skyline’s America Mota-Bojorquez shared that she is powerful and wonderful because she’s a daughter of a Mexican immigrant and Black woman from Detroit that saw the American dream. She dreams that little black and brown girls will see her and see themselves and their success over obstacles will be hers as hers is theirs.
Huron’s Daniel Yiga highlighted technology can be used to lift everyone, but innovation without responsibility can add new inequalities without solving the old ones. Yiga also presented a challenge to African-American students and other young people. “You do not have to wait until you’re old to make a difference, you can begin now by the way you treat others, how you use your voice, what you chose to learn and how you use your God given talents to serve the community,” Yiga said.
Community’s Nylee Harmon shared innovation should not be measured by how far technology advances, but for how many people it allows to move forward. Harmon said access to technology must be available to all, and not only for those with resources.
The 2026 Freedom Fund Scholars are:
Community: Kany Camara, Annette Dobson, Elinor Freeland, Azalia Harmon, Nylee Harmon, Miles Jackson, Iris Kasara, Alyza Khasidis, Cameryn McBurrows, Gabrielle Owens, Alexander Paich-Okanlami, Akavayia Pressley-Dykes, Marc Robinson, Marble Rolfe, Shayna Simon-Jaimon, Lionel Spiess-Smith, Noah Taylor and Makayla Weber.
Huron:
Daniel Addis, Kelaia Ashford, Nicholas Ashford, Glen Baltimore, Tamia Banks, Gabriel Bell, Jacquie Boketsubolanga, Gabriella-Rose Bourne, Kira Brown, Jaz’lynn Browning, Kyndall Campbell, Ruthnise Debel Chery, Aaron Cunegin, Xayvier Davis, Nevaeh Davis, Juan DePena, Leaf Diem, Johnny Epps, Caitlyn Fields, Leah Flowers, Savannah Fonville, Elijah Franks, Chloe Frierson, David Fry, Tyce Frye, Khalil Fulks, Mazin Gameel, Keyamu Gborogen, Kaliyah Glenn, Kailyn Graham, Ruth Haile, Sarah Hama, Olivia Helme, Dasani Homes, Donatella Hyter-Upshaw, Carter Jackson, Jasmine Jackson, Joziah Jason, Osiris Johnson, Gabrielle Jones, Mamoudou Kaba, Saran Kaba, Jonathan Knox, Jordan Larkins, Khylie Lopez, Laschelle Lord, Charles Love, Khylin Mayfield-Sanders, Irene Mbabazi, Khadijah Mbengue, Nadia McRee, Gabriel Morrow, Aliya Norris, Iminosa Obaseki, Ehinomhen Onehireba, Kourey Perkins, Benjamin Peters, Chance Poole, Alicia Powell, Moses Price, James Price, Aaron Ramsey, Arianna Reynolds, Kaya Richardson, Grayson Richmond, Tahirah Robinson, Cheikh Ahmadou Seye, Nathaniel Sidney, Marguerite Simpson-Vlach, Kevin Smith, Shyanne Smith, Joshua St Amie, Cloe Streeter, Jayden Thigpen, Julia Thomas, Syrrhian Thomas, Kayana Thompson, Jelani Thompson, Tymya Thompson, Mohamed Toure, Amaya Walker, Dax Ward, Christian Weems, Tytus Wheatley, Mariah White, Abigail Whitehead, Leon Williams, Allison Worth and Daniel Yiga
Pioneer:
Roman Adigun, Lamya Ahmed, Sara Ahmed, Kia Alert, Arthur Arum, Hana Attalla, Kuruk Awa Kaiowa, Donte Bailey, Savannah Baty, Aisha Berki, Kai Bishop-Cain, Ella Blythe, Nickhlous Brown, Jacob Brown, Jay’Sean Burns, John Clark, Ny’Asia Claybron, Jeremiah Clifton, Jamari Crawford, Nathaniel Dantzler Kegg, Cortez Davis, Michal Davis, Nahla Deal, Larceny Doumbouya-Maiga, Ezra Drumgold, Charles Elford, Asiya Farah, Daniel Francis, Dezmond Franklin, Amber German, Nancy Hamilton, Destiny Harris, Kylo Hayes, Kallan Hill, Jade Hill, Christopher Hinson, Caleigh Hogan, Albert Jackson, Elizabeth Kamara, Bruce Larkin, Kalia Lawson, Jayla Lee, Madison Mahan, Arielle McFarlin, Madison McLaurin, Mercedes McLaurin, David Medzagoh, Corinne Milton, Marguerite Montas, Autumn Morast, Ethan Neal, Joshua Noonoo, Olumorewa Odetola, Jairee Okech, Lorenzo Penn, Gabriella Porter, Angeliyah Reed, Michael Robinson, Kamea Rojas, Ylani Romero, Jozie Rotrock, Aneel Scott, Donald Scott III, Nasren Sheikh, Oluwasoorepupo Shiyanbola, Xavier Smith, Parker Smith, Naomi Starks, Layah Thomas, Isabella Tookes, Linnea Townsend, Ptolemy Weathersby, Akira Wilson, Jayla Wilson, Leleida Woods, Fallyn Wright, Mikaela Wyche and Devon Zuniga
Skyline:
Amelia Armstrong, Viviann Brabec, Jada Bruce, Mya Caddell, Amaya Canada, Shekinah Chikosi, Chloe Cobbs-Smith, Camden Currie, Amaya Dawson, Ezra Dorsette, Ellie Dziedzic, Adama Fall, Aiden Fayson-DeMoss, Anthony Fletcher, Riley Flores, Khara Gilmore, Sean Goodson, Olivia Harris, Kyler Hogan, Jocelyn Hooks, Kayleana Howell, Milana Jackson, Reed Jemison-Blais, Violet Jenkins, Natalie Joseph, Shiyanne Kimbrough, Georgia Langrock, Tsiamala Luyambi, Montreal McCraney, Raeleigh-Ann McNair-Young, Shiloh Merges, America Mota-Bojorquez, Alexander Murrell, Ariele Myers, Ella Neblett, Yonis Osman, Torie Patterson, Julianna Peoples, Tristen Phillips, Taylor Phillips, Noah Pomeroy, David Powell, Tajudean Ray-Hassan, Aria Reed, Titus Reid, Marcus Rodriguez-Burch, Patrick Sawyer, Edward Schneider, Nicholas Schneider, Irie Scrase, Marin Smith, Cadence Taylor, Bennie Thomas, Jeremiah David Tinsley, Brandon Warnsley, Madison White, Oliver Whitfield, Christian Wood, Kamari Wright, Mathew Yade and Eden Yarmoluk
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