PMB has had a decades long relationship with Conestoga High School, by annually awarding their most prestigious award, The Silver Cup, along with a financial stipend to the recipient.  This year’s winner, Ms. Jaela Eaton, spoke eloquently about her time at CHS, her involvement and commitments there, the reality of high school during COVID, and her aspirations for the future.

Jaela was an active member of the GMC TETV (Good Morning, Conestoga) programming.  She served as their sports anchor.  She was active in the African American Student Union, ensuring that there was a safe space where students could feel safe, be seen and be heard.  She was part of the Equity Leadership Alliance and Students for Anti-Racism.  She was instrumental in establishing SOAR (Students Organized Against Racism 2021-2023.

She worked with new teachers to ensure that they were inclusive in their interactions with all students.  They worked on name pronunciation, promoting small group discussions, and they learned over time that the new teachers shared information with more veteran teachers.  They worked as role models for middle school students, who in turn worked with elementary students.

The Equity Leadership Alliance hosted an in-service day for the entire high school staff, not to assign blame or create guilt, but to impact attitudes and behaviors going forward.

Jaela will attend Northeastern University in Boston where she will major in journalism and screen studies.  She hopes to be a sports commentator/reporter.