By Megan Melone, Writer
Cover photo of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington retrieved from Getty Images
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist and leading figure in the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King advocated for an end to legal segregation through non-violent acts of protest and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
McKendree University honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by awarding students and faculty who embody King’s philosophy for non-violent advocacy for change and emulate humanitarian principles through their actions and words. Recipients of the MLK Award embrace and advocate for inclusion, social justice, and service to others.
McKendree’s 2024 student recipients of the McKendree Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award are Maria Vitoria Salomao and Bradley Eston.
Maria Vitoria Salomao is an international relations major and management minor from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Maria is a captain of the women’s tennis team, as well as a resident assistant. She is the president of the Student Government Association and the McKendree Vice Chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
When asked about being picked as a recipient of the award, Salomao stated, “First of all, I feel honored. I think being raised with humanitarian principles and values were a big part of my life. My parents always told me and my siblings that no matter who you are, you are always a human being first. And that is how you should treat all people, as human beings that are developing through their education. Nowadays, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a part of human rights development, and knowing how to empower individuals through their rights and desires means you can always hope for them to achieve their highest potential. Getting this award inspires me to follow the same path as King did. I want to motivate people to think intensively and critically through education. As a woman and an international student coming from Brazil, I feel as if I am fulfilling the position I promised myself when I left home for the first time to move to a different country, to not be just one more student but someone who wants to make a difference in the world. I couldn’t do that without my family, friends, professors, teammates, coaches, and all of the wonderful people at McKendree who have helped me since day one.”
Bradley Eston is a music education major from Quincy, Illinois. Brad is a member of the McKendree band and choir and participates in the McKendree theater program. Brad is also a student ambassador, a resident assistant, and was president of the National Association for Music Education.
When asked about being picked as a recipient of the award, Eston stated, “It’s such an honor and blessing to receive this award. Since birth, my grandma and dad instilled the understanding to care for the world and my community. Also to stand for what I believe and advocate for what is right. I couldn’t have gotten this far without them, or without the help from some of my fellow bearcats.”
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award ceremony will be held at the Hettenhausen Center for the Arts on February 8th at 4 p.m.
“I have decided to stick to love… Hate is too great a burden to bear.” – Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope
References
Carson, Clayborne, & Lewis. “Martin Luther King, Jr.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 26 Oct. 2018, www.britannica.com/biography/Martin-Luther-King-Jr.
“A Quote from a Testament of Hope.” Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/quotes/18086-i-have-decided-to-stick-to-love-hate-is-too-great. Accessed 30 Jan. 2024.
