April 19, 2024: DeVonne Sorel YMCA of Greater Louisville Black Achievers Award
Our own DeVonne Sorel is a recipient of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) "Director's Community Leadership Awards 2024".
The Louisville Division of the FBI honored DeVonne's leadership of the YMCA of Greater Louisville Black Achievers.
YMCA Black Achievers is renowned for its multicultural effort to create equity in education and the workplace by motivating minority youth to develop and pursue high educational and career goals. The organization serves 75 zip codes and provides valuable resources to the minority youth of Kentucky and southern Indiana. Since 1979, more than 21,000 youth have enrolled in the YMCA Black Achievers program. And the program has awarded more than $30 million in college scholarships to 2,500 high school seniors.
The YMCA Black Achievers program gives students hands-on learning and enrichment opportunities in various professional fields. Through YMCA Black Achievers, Kentucky youth gain a sense of self, raise academic standards, build character, gain exposure to diverse career opportunities, and engage in community service opportunities.
FBI Louisville has partnered with YMCA Black Achievers for several events, including a career fair. Participants also visited FBI Louisville to learn about science and technology skill fields used by evidence response teams and bomb technicians.
This is just the beginning for DeVonne as I see her star burning much brighter as time moves on. Nothing can stop her now!
If you happen to see DeVonne, congratulate her on her accomplishments!
May 30, 2022 - Girah Williams Accomplishments
Girah Williams (daughter of DeAnna Bates) has been accepted to Bellermine University. She has also been awarded $24,000 dollars in Scholarship Funds. Three thousand dollars were provided by the YMCA Black Achievers Program where Girah served as Chaplin/ Secretary. Girah has been selected to give the opening prayer at the annual Juneteenth Mayors Luncheon for the city of Louisville.
She will graduate with an overall 3.0 GPA and plans to major in English. While attending New Albany High school Girah took classes at Prosser Career Education Center where she will be graduating with a certification in Culinary Arts. Her career goals include becoming a published author. She is now working on a teen fantasy murder mystery and has written multiple songs and poems.
Girah's hobbies include a Saturday morning radio program she hosted on WNAS 88.1 New Albany for two years Freshman and Sophomore year of high school, and attendance at a FBI teen trading academy the summer of her Junior year in high school.
If you happen to see Girah, congratulate her on her accomplishments!