NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Xavier University of Louisiana is acknowledging its students’ latest achievement after taking home the highest prize in the Department of Homeland Security Invent2Prevent Competition.
University officials said four students in the Exponential Honors Program earned the first-place prize during the collegiate finals of the competition. The winners are:
- Jamaya Davis, a junior political science major
- Anthony Jeanmarie IV, a junior sociology major
- Aarinii Parms-Green, a sophomore political science major
- Nehemiah Strawberry, a sophomore chemistry/pre-med major
The Invent2Prevent program is said to encourage high school and collegiate-level students to be innovative and create programs to prevent targeted violence and terrorism in local communities.
“We are incredibly proud of Jamaya, Anthony, Aarinii, and Nehemia. They are truly exemplary of the nearly 100 years of Xavier elevating its students to be leaders and change-makers toward a better future for all,” said Dr. Reynold Verret, President of Xavier University of Louisiana.
In the semester-long competition, Xavier University beat out teams comprised of current graduates and graduate students from Johns Hopkins University and George Washington University.
Their proposed idea was entitled “Still We R.O.S.E (Recognizing Our Shared Experience),” a program aimed at bridging the misunderstanding between Black and Jewish communities due to controversial statements made by certain Black celebrities.
Over the course of six months, the XULA team works with 26 organizations including the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, to educate Historically Black College and University, and high school students on the history of Black and Jewish relations and solidarity.
The university’s honors program, under the direction of Dr. Shearon Roberts, is a program built for high-performing, high-achieving students, often from underserved communities, to provide them with a solid educational foundation and rich opportunities for the future.
Team member, Aarinii Parms-Green, also individually won a scholarship at the competition.
“Thank you to Jamya, Aarinii, Nehemiah, and Anthony for six months of hard work. I know this is an experience they will never forget, and their work has had a tremendous impact!” said Roberts.
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