Deputy Mayor Carol Robles-Roman, Noted Author John Edgar Wideman, and NYPL President Dr. Paul LeClerc Are Featured Speakers for Top Achievers

New York, June 10, 2002 -- The New York Public Library is proud to announce the 20th annual celebration of the Minerva Awards. More than 100 graduates will gather at this event, named for the Roman goddess of wisdom, where they will be honored for their superior academic accomplishments. These students, the cream of the NYC high school crop, will be recognized by special guest speakers including Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs Carol Robles-Roman, New York Public Library President Dr. Paul LeClerc, and noted author John Edgar Wideman. The Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, June 12, at 3:00 p.m. at the Humanities and Social Sciences Library, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street.

This year’s collection of success stories includes students from diverse ethnic, economic, and racial backgrounds, each with unique interests both inside and outside of the classroom. Many of the valedictorians are not American born. Their birthplaces include: Grenada, Venezuela, Russia, Ecuador, Uzbekistan, Morocco, Hong Kong, Kosovo, Albania, Jamaica, Colombia, Pakistan, Vietnam, Guyana, China, Trinidad and Tobago, Poland, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, and India.

In addition to achieving academic excellence, many Class of 2002 valedictorians have hobbies and interests that range from videography to star gazing. These students have worked at libraries, hospitals, restaurants, newspapers, have written books, and one student has performed on Broadway and in daytime television dramas. Many have given back to their communities by participating in peer tutoring and literacy programs, translating for non-English speaking patients in doctor’s offices, visiting the elderly in nursing homes, and volunteering in churches and synagogues.

Many of the valedictorians hope for interesting futures: Saima Rashid, from Brooklyn, is the president of his local chapter of Health Occupations Students of America. He plans on being a doctor and specializing in prosthetic research and development. Lisbeth Zelle, who is attending Harvard in the Fall, wants to be the first female director of the CIA. And Lance R. Medow, who has already written a sports article for The New York Times, says "I have always dreamed of becoming a world reknowned sportscaster."

"We give out these Minerva Awards not just to recognize what the valedictorians have already done, but to encourage them to do even more as they leave high school," said Paul LeClerc. "We want to assure them that academic accomplishment is recognized and valued. Judging by the number of valedictorians who have helped their fellow students and communities, I can see that they want to share their joy of learning."

John Edgar Wideman has firmly established himself as one of the most respected contemporary writers. He is the first writer to win the PEN/Faulkner Award twice, in 1984 for Sent for You Yesterday and in 1990 for Philadelphia Fire. Mr. Wideman is the author of eleven books of fiction, along with several short stories and essays. He has won consistent praise for his polished style and his serious consideration of contemporary issues, including the deterioration of African-American urban life, the meaning of modern black manhood, and the role of violence and criminality in American life. His most recent novel is Two Cities.

In addition to receiving certificates of merit, students will be presented with two tickets each to the New York Mets baseball game on Wednesday, June 19; a collection of books donated by four publishers: Hoop Roots, by John Edgar Wideman, and The American Heritage Dictionary (Houghton Mifflin, Company); Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Encyclopedia (BOOKSPAN); Stay Strong: Simple Life Lessons for Teens, by Terrie Williams and Hold Fast Your Dreams, a collection of commencement addresses by well-known people (Scholastic, Inc.); Pulitzer: A Life, by Denis Brian (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.), and Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman (Del Rey, a Division of Random House, Inc.).

Support for the Minerva Awards is generously provided by Houghton Mifflin Company, a division of Vivendi Universal.

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A color photo of the valedictorians on the steps of the Library and photos of the students grouped by borough are available. Please call Public Relations at (212) 221-7676 to request prints for publication.

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