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Ossining Students Recognized for Academic, Artistic Excellence

They received awards in the photography and science categories at the NAACP ACT-SO competition in Texas.

Two Ossining High School students recently were honored for their accomplishments in photography and science at the NAACP ACT-SO competition in Texas.

Junior Brigitte Alberghini-Davis came in second place in photography for a photo of her grandfather. Senior Kellen Cooks earned gold in the Earth and Space Sciences category for his research on urban perceptions of graffiti and street art. The Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics took place July 12-15 in San Antonio.

Brigitte and Kellen were among eight Westchester County students who received gold medals in the Westchester ACT-SO regional competition in April and advanced to national ACT-SO. OHS sophomore Federico Grullon, who won a gold medal in entrepreneurship at the regional level, was the third Ossining student who competed in San Antonio.

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More than 700 students from around the country attended the 40th annual ACT-SO competition, which took place during the NAACP’s 109th National Convention.

Ten Ossining students participated in the regional ACT-SO competition in April, said Ingraham Taylor, chairwoman of the Westchester Region NAACP ACT-SO Coalition. “We always have students from Ossining at our regional competition. I commend the district for encouraging its students to compete,” she said.

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ACT-SO is a yearlong achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students. There are 32 categories in humanities; business; STEM (science, technology, engineering and math); and performing, visual and culinary arts.

“For 40 years, ACT-SO has allowed high school students to show the world they are talented, gifted and breaking barriers with no hesitation,” ACT-SO National Director Larry Brown Jr. said in a statement. “These students are discovering their gifts, believing in themselves to walk in their talents, and watching their dreams manifest right before their eyes.”

(Photo 1: Westchester County students who competed in the ACT-SO competition; photo 2, left to right: Craig Murray of Mount Vernon (Horace Mann High School); OHS student Brigitte Alberghini-Davis, OHS student Kellen Cooks; photo 3: OHS student Federico Grullon.)

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