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Student Receives Award for “Being the Change”

Annabel Martinez

PCTI student Annabel Martinez (Paterson) showcases her Passion Project display “Be the Change,” which earned her induction into the AAUW Girls Hall of Fame and showcases her letters from the Mayor of Paterson, the AAUW, and the Passaic County Freeholders.

The Greater Wayne Area (GWA) Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) has selected Anabel Martinez of Passaic County Technical Institute (PCTI) as one of three students to be inducted into their Girls Hall of Fame. The honor was received in light of Anabel’s extensive volunteerism and community service for her Passion Project, “Be the Change.”

The AAUW breaks through barriers for women and girls by means of advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Anabel’s unparalleled drive and the desire to give back to her community are qualities that the AAUW seeks to honor with their Girls Hall of Fame program. In explaining her project, Annabel said, “I’m greatly inspired by Gandhi, so I wanted my project to reflect bringing peace to others.” Growing up in Paterson, she often noticed the less fortunate being helped by Eva’s Village, an organization dedicated to fighting homelessness and poverty. Urged by her goodhearted nature, Anabel sought to echo the impact the association had on her community. Her project started small, with planning, and expanded to collecting and distributing toiletries and snacks to local in the area.

“It came to the point where I would be making sixty sandwiches a visit – then two-hundred – packed with water and juice,” Anabel cited about the growth of her twice monthly mission. Her family and friends have also become involved in the outreach initiative, making it even more of a success!

One of the greatest outcomes of Anabel’s project has been the inspiration she’s instilled in others. She and her sister recently banded together in collecting school supplies for children and made to the trip to Cabral in the Dominican Republic to distribute the donations.

Congratulations to Anabel Martinez on being inducted into the much respected AAUW Girls Hall of Fame and for a truly making a difference in the lives of those in her community and beyond.