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| Gabby accepts her award |
Gabby Momah, a Senior and the Chapter President at Diamond Bar High School won the Martin Luther King Junior Youth Social Justice Award. The award, along with a monetary prize, is given to young people ages 15-19 who have "made a difference in their communities, neighborhoods and schools" and who have "demonstrated, by their daily actions, that the spirit of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is alive."
Gabby is at the top of her class at Diamond Bar High School, and wrote a touching essay about her experiences with the Best Buddies program at her High School to win the competition. Her essay is below.
Essay Submission by Gabby Momah:
Consider the following word: Sawubona. This traditional South African greeting is not just a simple “how are you”. Instead, “Sawubona” translates to “I see you”. Apart from its literal meaning, the phrase “I see you” explains that one recognizes the other’s existence and appreciates whatever talent or skill he or she brings to society. Four years ago, an international non-profit organization named Best Buddies adopted this African greeting “I see you” as a replacement for the standard “hello”. Best Buddies is an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual disabilities worldwide. The phrase “I see you” reinforces the inclusive principle Best Buddies is built on – that people with intellectual disabilities should be viewed as equals, as co-workers and as friends. As Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” As four year member and in my second year as President of my high school Best Buddies chapter, I have put Reverend King’s teachings of social justice into action, demonstrating to my community that people with intellectual disabilities are valued at home, in schools and in the workplace.
I joined Best Buddies my freshman year because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of individuals with mental disabilities. I believed the club’s main goal was the same as mine: to promote social equality among all Diamond Bar students. However, at the first meeting I attended, I saw many of the special buddies by themselves and alone while other members and officers of the club did nothing about it. The chapter consisted of roughly twenty other high school students like me, and ten other buddies, like Lex. However, even with thirty people involved, many members did not sign up for events and outings the club hosted. Our chapter had the right intentions; however no one wanted to take responsibility and keep the mission of Best Buddies alive at every meeting. I knew something had to be done about this; these Best Buddy students deserved more than that. My sophomore year, I ran for Best Buddies president. It was abnormal for someone as young as I was to run for this position, but I was determined to become a leader in this organization. After the interview and application process, I was announced as the new Best Buddies president.
Since becoming president of Best Buddies, I have put my dreams for social equality into action. Our club now meets every week and transformed from 20 members my freshman year to over 80 dedicated members who are excited to attend meetings and events. As my first act of social justice, I started an annual rally at my school called “Spread the Word to End the Word”, where students pledge to end their derogatory use of the “r”-word (retarded) to describe any human being. Over 800 students at my school participated and our rally was featured in the school newspaper, read by over 3,500 students. In addition, I continued our annual Social Surf, where students with and without disabilities travel around campus, befriending other students at school. Because of this Surf, many special buddies have gained respect from their classmates and no longer feel isolated and degraded. My chapter also started doing community service, recycling and cleaning beaches, for the first time in the history of our school. For the past two years as president, my chapter has received state recognition, dubbed the “Best” Best Buddies chapter in California my junior year. If it were not for my club advisor Mrs. Linda Munsey, I would have been able to take our Best Buddies chapter to a new level. Mrs. Munsey truly has helped me reach my goals with the club through her guidance and organization. I do not know where the club would be without her. It is to her that I am truly grateful; without her Gates Millennium Scholarship recommendation, I would not receive a full ride scholarship for the next ten years of education.
This past summer at our end of the year celebration, my buddy Calvin’s father came up to me and thanked me. I asked him, “what for?” With tears trickling from his eyes, he replied, “You have changed my son’s life for the better, he no longer comes home from school sad, or sullen as he once did. He comes home vibrant and excited to go back to more fun, more laughter, more Best Buddies. Thank you.” Moments like these are why I have devoted countless hours to this organization. There are no community service hours for those who volunteer. But to promote social equality and be a part of something bigger than myself—well frankly, that’s the true reward.
