Announcing the Winners of the 2023 Ham4Progress Award for Educational Advancement

NEW YORK, NY (July 14, 2023) -- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and Hamilton today announced the winners of the third annual Ham4Progress Award for Educational Advancement, a cash award supporting college-bound high school students from communities that directly experience the consequences of injustice and discrimination.

Ham4Progress is a community highlighting social justice causes and a gathering place for meaningful discussion. Run by a diverse collective of Hamilton cast members and staff, Ham4Progress aims to inspire its community and its fans to action.

Winners of the Ham4Progress Award receive a $2,000 prize to be used for educational purposes, which may include test preparation courses; tutoring; college visits; and technology, including laptops, tablets, or other electronic devices.

“Our future lies in the hands of our youth, and if this year’s Ham4Progress Award recipients are any indication, the future looks bright,” said Tamar Greene, Ham4Progress selection committee member and “George Washington” in Hamilton on Broadway.

In their applications, students provided a letter of recommendation from a teacher accompanied by their high school transcripts and a personal statement about what the student is doing to further social justice and why it is an important issue for the student to address. Students were also asked to explain how they exemplify Alexander Hamilton’s qualities of the pursuit of knowledge, both inside and outside the classroom, as well as his qualities of resilience, hard work, and initiative.

The Ham4Progress winners for 2023 are

  • Yara Almoussa, Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Riva Babaria, Sayreville War Memorial High School, Parlin, NJ
  • Trinity Cortez-Ansley, Health Sciences High and Middle College, San Diego, CA
  • Chidalu Emy-Munonye, Urbana High School, Frederick, MD
  • Kristy Garcia, Sayreville War Memorial High School, Parlin, NJ
  • Hemali Gauri, Haas Hall Academy, Fayetteville, AR
  • Iman Ibrahim, Eagan High School, Eagan, MN
  • Melvin Joseph, Milton Academy, Milton, MA
  • Jennifer Levine, Friends Seminary, New York, NY
  • Sarah Long, Rockingham Early College High School, Wentworth, NC
  • Joyti Nath, Stuyvesant High School, New York, NY
  • Chiemela Nwokoro, Eastern Technical High School, Essex, MD
  • Fernanda Rios, Young Women’s Leadership Academy, El Paso, TX
  • Maria Rueda, Immokalee High School, Immokalee, FL
  • Isoken Umweni, Arts High School, Newark, NJ
  • Ayana Williams, Naugatuck High School, Naugatuck, CT
  • Justin Zhang, Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, NJ

Students enrolled in grade 11 at a Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School in the 50 United States and District of Columbia with a minimum GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale were eligible to apply. Visit https://www.gilderlehrman.org/programs-and-events/ham4progress-award to learn more about the Ham4Progress Award.

About EduHam

The Ham4Progress Award is a further partnering of the Gilder Lehrman Institute and Hamilton, whose nationally recognized Hamilton Education Program (EduHam) combines American history and creative expression, bringing the founding era to life in the classroom. Since 2016, hundreds of thousands of students have participated in EduHam in the classroom and online. The program helps students learn how to read and understand primary source documents, how Lin-Manuel Miranda used primary sources to write the songs in Hamilton, and how to conduct their own research and select primary sources as the basis for their own creative expression. Visit hamilton.gilderlehrman.org to learn more and register for this free program.

About HAMILTON

With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.

For information on HAMILTON, visit www.HamiltonMusical.com, www.Facebook.com/HamiltonMusical, www.Instagram.com/HamiltonMusical, and www.Twitter.com/HamiltonMusical.

About the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education. The Institute is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public.

Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, and the Council of Independent Colleges.

For information on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, visit gilderlehrman.org.

PRESS CONTACT
Josh Landon, Director of Marketing and Communications
landon@gilderlehrman.org
(646) 366-9666, ext. 137

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