These awards will be given to Baltimore County residents who display a strong personal commitment to understanding, diversity and unity. In the spirit of Dr. King’s message, they are open to people of all races and all ages, and I am proud to introduce four deserving winners today.
Eduardo D. Hayden
He is a new member of the Baltimore County Ethnic Diversity Council representing the Hispanic Community. He is committed to the mission of ensuring that Baltimore County employees and County Citizens are provided equal treatment, access and opportunity in the delivery of all Baltimore County services.
He believes that integration is a powerful tool towards increasing public awareness, addressing the needs and concerns of growing ethnic communities, involving the business community and educating the public of the cultural richness of Baltimore County.
Shirley Supik
She has a strong desire to share the history of the Home she owns on North Rolling Road that was used as a "safehouse" to hide run-away slaves as they made their way through the western part of Baltimore County to freedom in Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Supik is committed to sharing her knowledge of this wonderful African American history of this house that she has accumulated over the years and has shared this history with the hundreds of persons during historical bus tours to the safehouse site know as the Pierpont House. The stories she shares are so heart warming that upon hearing them, tour bus riders are moved to tears.
Brandon Johnson
Brandon Johnson is a senior at Pikesville High School. He has been enrolled in the Pikesville AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program since its inception three years ago at the high school. An Advanced Placement student, Brandon has excelled in highly rigorous academic courses and has grown as a leader in the high school. Brandon is the model AVID student and will be a role model for students in the future as he graduates with the Class of 2006. Eager to learn and accomplish his education goals, Brandon has excelled in challenging courses, including AP Statistics, AP Psychology, and AP World History.
Brandon also is enrolled in Pikesville’s Pre-Engineering GT program and Calculus this year. An outstanding member of the student body, Brandon demonstrates academic excellence and participation in co-curricular activities, including the highly competitive Mock Trial team. In summer 2005, he participated in the prestigious Student Leadership Conference in Washington, DC. Brandon has applied to Virginia Tech, University of Maryland and has already been accepted for admission to Penn State University and Drexel University. Brandon will pursue a degree in Engineering.
Gabrielle Wyatt
Gabrielle is a senior at the Carver Center for Arts and Technology, one of the best visual art high schools in the nation. She is in the top-ten in her class, has served as class treasurer, secretary for the National Honor Society, Captain of the field hockey team, and is serving a one-year term as a student representative to the School Board.
Gabrielle’s teachers and counselors consider her a generous person, a role model for other students, and they have great faith that her abilities will lead her to make a difference in her community as an adult.
My thanks and congratulations to all four winners this year, and to Delegate Adrienne Jones, and to the staff of the Baltimore County Office of Fair Practices as well.
Revised January 18, 2006
Courthouse 