By Benjamin Hong, Co-Editor-in-Chief
On Monday, November 10, River Hill’s Scholars Leadership Honors Program (formerly known as Delta Scholars) hosted a recognition ceremony for its new members, the most recent additions to a long tradition of celebrating the academic excellence and community service of Black female students at the school.
The program’s advisor is Deittra Allen, the front office’s Teacher’s Secretary. She was first approached in 2015 regarding the organization when administrators wanted a staff member who could help organize a program meant “to be supportive of young ladies grades 10 through 12,” Allen explained
Since then, Allen has shaped the group with a marked emphasis on service. One of her proudest memories was watching students volunteer at the Community Action Council Garden near Long Reach, a program she helped implement.
“They didn’t want to leave,” she shared. “They were really getting into planting the seeds and seeing how their work helped the food bank. It turned into a great Saturday for them.”
This year’s newly recognized Scholars include sophomore members Rebekah Belete, Adekemi Otolorin and Elizabeth Onamade.
For Otolorin, it all began with an impulse decision. “I just heard [Ms.Turk] talking about the Scholars,” she explained. “I picked up the papers and thought, why not apply?”
Onamade said she was drawn in because it offered a community she rarely experienced at school. “It’s a community of Black girls,” she said. “I don’t have that many Black friends who are girls, so this felt important to join.”
Belete had known about the program since ninth grade through the Black Leadership Union. “The idea of this kind of space existing at River Hill was inspiring,” she said. “I’m passionate about community service, so this felt perfect.”
The event was planned and organized by the organization’s co-presidents, River Hill seniors Abi Asante and Eri Omitowoju. The impetus for their involvement was similar, but also carried the added weight of legacy.
Asante’s uncles participated in Alpha Achievers, the parallel program for black male students at River Hill. “I saw firsthand the community that was created there,” she described. “There aren’t many people who look like us who share these values, so it was important for me.”
For Omitowoju, it was both her sisters and especially her mother, who is an alumna of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority that was the inspiration for the high school program. “The club balances being a scholar and being a black woman,” Omitowoju emphasized. “That really matters to me.”
During this year’s recognition ceremony, the group carried this emphasis on legacy by inviting back alumna Mariah Campbell, who graduated from River Hill in 2019, to share her post-graduation journey. Campbell graduated from the University of Maryland before earning a Fulbright scholarship to study abroad in Taiwan, where she completed her master’s degree.
Campbell told the new Scholars that confidence is often the first barrier to overcome. “If you’re already interested, you probably belong here,” she stated. “Don’t think you’re not smart enough or don’t have enough achievements. This community helps you grow into them.” Her final advice to students was simple: “If you want something, you can manifest it. You can really achieve it.”
Today, the Scholars Leadership Honors Program has around 35 active members, according to Allen, and continues to grow each year. Though each group of students brings new ideas, the core mission remains the same, contributing to the legacy of emphasizing academics and giving back to the broader community.