SEEN- The Owl Club Debutante Cotillion

The 11 young women who accepted bids to be presented at the 68th Owl Club Debutante Cotillion came to the program filled with self-confidence and a clear sense of direction.

They completed the journey with words of praise and encouragement ringing in their ears.
Telling them that she was “Speaking from my heart,” narrator Rosalyn Smith concluded her introduction of the debutantes with several pearls of wisdom.

“We know you all have good intentions and that you will become leaders. But don’t forget who you are. You come from a heritage of excellence, so don’t ever think excellence is out of your reach.

“Believe in yourself and don’t let people turn you around. But please remember that the largest room in the world is room for improvement.”

Community leaders from throughout the metro area attended the June 1 dinner-dance chaired by Gregory Anderson and held at the Radisson Hotel Denver Southeast. Master of ceremonies Jeffrey Smith took a moment at the presentation’s start to acknowledge the recent passing of two longtime Owl Club members: Federal Judge Wiley Daniel and retired postmaster Lloyd Shelton.

Smith’s daughter, Candice, a 1999 Owl Club debutante, was the vocalist for the 2019 ceremony.
Narrator Rosalyn Smith also served as a presentation coordinator with Dorothy Pratt and Patricia Goodgaine. Alonzo Butler is the Owl Club president and Marvin Pierce chairs the Owl Club Scholarship Fund that has to date awarded $109,000 to the college-bound debs.
The 2019 Owl Club debutantes were:

Eyita Almaw is a graduate of DSST-Green Valley Ranch High School, where she was on the Dean’s List and received the Biochemistry Growth Award. After obtaining a degree in nursing from Grambling State University, she plans to spend time in Ethiopia and serve those with limited access to medical care. Eyita is a member of the Gishen Mariam Church Choir and has been a dancer at the Taste of Ethiopia festival.
Paris Bankston is a graduate of Denver School of the Arts and will take a gap year to live in Guadalajara before continuing with her theater studies at Ohio University. During her high school years, Paris, who has been involved in school and community theater since she was 9 and aspires to a career on Broadway, was a member of the Art Students of Color Alliance and was a peer leader with Big Hair Bigger Dreams.
Maya Broomfield is a graduate of Lakewood High School, where she was president of the Black Student Alliance and a member of the speech and debate team. She also belonged to the National Art Honor Society and received a Christopher J. and Pensal McCray College Scholarship. She will study mass communication and pre-law at Prairie View A & M University before transferring to Howard University to obtain a law degree.
Portia Harris, a graduate of George Washington High School, is undecided on which college to attend, but is planning to receive a degree in entrepreneurial studies and start a business “That will leave a legacy for my family.” Portia was on the honor roll at GW and was named the AVID Student of the Year. She received an academic letter for Excellence in Scholastic Achievement.
Sydney Mayes, a graduate of Denver School of the Arts, is a state champion orator and award-winning poet whose work has been published in several literary magazines. She will attend the University of Iowa on an academic scholarship and will study creative writing and psychology.
Alexandria Powe was on the Principal’s Honor Roll for all four years at Cherokee Trail High School and received the AP Scholar Award and the Cherokee Trail Citizenship Award. She’s a competitive gymnast, a Future Business Leaders of America district winner and has received an athletic scholarship to the University of Illinois, where she will study accounting.
Ryann Smith graduated from Grandview High School after moving to Colorado from the East Coast, where she had participated in the SMART Program at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, volunteered at the New York Common Pantry and received awards from the New Jersey Orators. She will major in biology at Howard University as the first step toward a career in cosmetic dermatology.
Anjelique Turner is a graduate of DSST Cole High School where she was a four-year member of the Honor Roll, a member of the Student Council and Skateboard Club, and recipient of the DSST Cole Core Value Award. She will major in mechanical engineering at Colorado State University Pueblo with the goal of having a career in automotive design.
Paige Venrick was a cum laude graduate of Regis Jesuit High School where she was active in the Diversity Action Group and played soccer, earning four varsity letters and achieving Most Valuable Player status. She plans to further her education at Oral Roberts University because she enjoys learning in a faith-based setting.
Naiya Williams graduated with honors from Overland High School and will be pre-law at Howard University. During her high school years she was a co-chair of the executive board for the Cherry Creek Youth Diversity Conference, tutored freshmen in English and math, and was an Academic Bar recipient.
Anaka Young was a scholar-athlete at DSST Green Valley Ranch and will be attending the Virginia Military Institute, thanks to an inspirational time spent as a member of the Young Marines. Her high school activities also included excelling in track and field, participating in the Northeast Denver Leadership Week and belonging to the Asian Student Alliance and EngineerMe .