Women Who ROAR honored at Lockport High School

Benjamin Joe, Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.
·2 min read

Mar. 27—Lockport City School District's first-ever "Women Who ROAR" award ceremony was well attended Wednesday morning.

With visiting officials including Niagara County legislators, Mayor John Lombardi III and city council members and school board members, as well as the awardees and their families, the Lockport High School atrium was packed.

"I want to welcome you all to this highly anticipated ceremony for this year's Women's History Month. Let's also acknowledge every woman who is here and women around the world. Let's get a round of applause," district superintendent Mathis Calvin III said at the start.

Women Who ROAR, standing for Recognizing Outstanding Achievements and Resilience, honors women in the community and girls attending Lockport schools who have demonstrated excellence in their career field or made significant contributions to their learning environment.

The six community winners were:

—Keah Brown, a disability rights activist, author, journalist and writer.

—Kathy Granchelli, the retired CEO of the YWCA of the Niagara Frontier.

—Marion Hannigan, retired educator and longstanding LCTV show host.

—Erika Kastell, the director of community impact for Literacy Buffalo Niagara and a member of the LCSD Strategic Planning Committee.

—Martha Kershaw, associate professor and chair of nursing at the Scott Bieler College of Health Professions, Daemen University.

—Kathleen Lewis, civil engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Each of the honorees except Brown, who was unable to attend the ceremony, was presented with a certificate and a bouquet of flowers to commemorate their accomplishments.

"I don't deserve this because I love what I do," Hannigan said prior to receiving her award.

Kastell said the recognition is much appreciated.

"The fact that they're honoring a woman like me, an immigrant, a person of color, from Mexico, means a lot," she said. "I can tell you endless stories about discrimination at every level, so the fact that Dr. Calvin and the district are doing this means the world to me."

Also recognized were these female students: Taliyah Bridges, Anna Merritt Elementary; Jane Kurtz, Charles Upson Elementary; Savanna Scapelliti, Roy B. Kelley Elementary; Jane DiMaria, George Southard Elementary; Mila Cook, Emmet Belknap Intermediate; Piper Sparks, Aaron Mossell Junior High; Johanseyls "Johan" Antongiorgi, Lockport High School West; and Alexia Kilroy and Janiah Bennefield, Lockport High School.

Bennefield, who took on the role of Belle in the LHS production of Beauty and the Beast earlier this month, said the special recognition means a lot to her.

"It shows that people really care about me and what I do and I'm very blessed and thankful to have gotten the award," she said.