Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority presented Dr. Harriet Jarmon, Falcon School District 49 teacher, with the W. Juanita Roberts Award for the Arts during its annual scholarship banquet at the Double Tree Hilton in June. This is the first year the sorority recognized community members alongside scholarship recipients.ìThe AKA sorority was America’s first Greek letter organization established by black women in 1908,î said Pandora Osler, Colorado Springs chapter president. Since this is a graduate chapter, Osler said all members have graduated from college.ìThis year, because of it being established for the first time, we wanted to coordinate it with the members who established this chapter,î she said. ìThe awards were only given to females. Next year, it won’t be only females who have the possibility of receiving the awards.îJarmon and three other women received the awards for their areas of expertise: arts, business, education and math and science. Jarmon teaches vocal music at Skyview Middle School.W. Juanita Roberts nominated Jarmon, whom she had met less than a week prior to the announcement.ìShe (Roberts) knew me when I worked at Falcon Elementary School,î Jarmon said. ìShe said the AKA ladies had a stack of names for the awards; and, when it came time to choose the winner of her award, of all the teachers they looked at they chose me.îOsler said Jarmonís doctoral status was part of the reason they chose her. ìIt was important for us to show the scholarship recipients that there are other people in the community that are doing well, and that they can do it, too,î she said.ìI didn’t know anything about the award until I got the call saying I had won it,î Jarmon said. ìI was just really excited. It was really amazing.î
