Friends' Central Junior Receives Princeton Prize in Race Relations

Simone Gibson, a junior at Friends’ Central School, was named the 2016 recipient of the prestigious Princeton Prize in Race Relations for the Philadelphia Region, which she received at a ceremony at St. Joseph’s University on April 19.

Created to “recognize and encourage young people who have made or are making efforts to improve racial harmony,” the Princeton Prize in Race Relations is awarded in 25 local regions across the country to students in grades 9-12 who have demonstrated a commitment to promoting positive race relations in their schools and communities.

Simone has worked tirelessly to promote issues of diversity in the Friends’ Central community. Last November, Simone planned and led a diversity conference, hosted at Friends’ Central, for close to 100 students, faculty, staff, and administrators from local public, private, and parochial schools. The purpose of the conference, entitled Different Voices, Same Vision: Identity and the Impact on Community, was “to bring independent and non-independent schools together in a safe setting where students learn from and have conversations with each other about diversity issues.”

After an application process and demonstrated leadership in the area of race relations, Simone and the other 24 recipients nationwide are awarded $1,000 and receive an all-expenses paid trip to attend the Princeton Prize Symposium on Race from April 29-30 on the Princeton University campus. Simone was thrilled to receive this award and is looking forward to attending the Princeton Prize Symposium. “I’m really excited – I never thought I would get this award. I’m not really someone to brag about myself, but I feel accomplished, like my hard work has paid off. This award is so selective, and from Princeton, so this is a great honor.”

Last January, Simone also received the Widener Leadership Award, which is presented to a current high school junior who has “demonstrated courage by standing up for what is right, found a way to address a wrong, or made a difference in a significant way at his or her school or community.” Winners of the Widener Leadership Award were recognized at a ceremony at the National Constitution Center in March and are invited to participate in a leadership development conference on the campus of Widener University in the fall.

Through her leadership in the diversity conference, and as President of the Black Student Forum (BSF), President of the Students for Diversity, and member of World Affairs Council and Model United Nations at Friends’ Central, Simone embodies what it means to be a leader. Upper School Principal Art Hall shares, “Simone’s achievements are the epitome of what it means to be a member of the FCS community. Her diversity efforts are not about winning awards, nor about gaining community recognition; Simone’s efforts are a reflection of an individual taking action to make her community stronger and to peacefully transform the world. With her leadership, Simone’s work is moving our world in the right direction, and others are starting to take notice.”

Simone looks forward to continuing her efforts to promote diversity in the FCS community. She is already planning the conference for next school year. “At next year’s conference, I want to make it a two-day conference – we can’t put everything into just one day – and want to have more people participating, more funds allocated to it, and more speakers presenting,” Simone explains. “I want to continue to do diversity and leadership work. It feels really good to have people appreciate something you feel so passionate about and put so much work into.”