Virtual commemoration to take place Tuesday, January 19 at 8:30 a.m.

CLEVELAND (January 15, 2021) – Students from Cleveland State University (CSU) and Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) will come together to speak out during the “Future Leaders Dreaming Forward” event honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This virtual event, premiering on Tuesday, January 19 at 8:30 a.m., represents the 30th year the institutions have partnered to celebrate Dr. King’s vision and to encourage students to actualize their own dreams.

CSU and Tri-C presidents Harlan Sands and Alex Johnson deliver opening remarks, and the event is emceed by Danielle Sydnor, president and CEO of the Cleveland chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a nonprofit dedicated to transforming lives through education, personal and professional development programs and support services. 

CSU and Tri-C students will present their perspective on the following statement inspired by a 1965 King sermon following attacks on protestors in Selma, Alabama: Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. 

• Kenzie Brown is working toward an Associate of Arts degree at Tri-C while studying in the College’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Scholars Academy. After graduation, she intends to pursue a bachelor’s degree while building toward a career where she can make a difference in the lives of others through her art and writing.
   
• San Ly is a senior honors student studying marketing and international business at CSU. Originally from Vietnam, she began her academic endeavors at Tri-C. She serves on CSU’s Student Government Association as a senator for the College of Business and is vice president of fundraising for the CSU Chapter of the American Association of Marketing.
   
• Andres Portocarrero Bonifaz is a CSU graduate student studying medical physics. Originally from Peru, he is a member of the Peruvian Society of Radiological Protection, a student member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and an associate member of Medical Physics for World Benefit. He also conducts research projects at the Cleveland Clinic under the supervision of his advisor. He is passionate about being in the service of others and wants to make an impact on the world in the field of medical science.
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• Steve Primeau is studying in Tri-C’s Plant Science and Landscape Technology program and stands as a proud member of the Mandel Scholars Academy. He hopes to use his Tri-C education to build and enrich parks and reservations that beautify communities for generations to come. He would also like to continue developing his writing skills to better share his personal experiences and act as an advocate for the mentally ill.
   
• Charese Harrison has distinguished herself as a Tri-C Democracy Fellow, where she and others in the group have gained national recognition for their civic engagement efforts. The Mandel Scholar is pursuing dual majors in recording arts and liberal arts and is an active community advocate and volunteer. Her goal is to pursue music as a career and use her platform to help others.

Those interested in viewing the program can do so at www.tri-c.edu/administrative-departments/government-relations/tri-ccsu-mlk-celebration-brunch.html.