GTCC awards MLK Jr. Service Awards to two college staff members, a student
Published on: January 31, 2025
JAMESTOWN, N.C. (Jan. 31, 2025) – º£½ÇÂÒÂ× honored two employees and a student with its annual GTCC MLK Jr. Service Award Wednesday night at a community celebration hosted at North Carolina A&T State University.
GTCC civil engineering/geomatics technology professor Terrence Garraway was selected as the college’s faculty award winner, while Thomas L. Barksdale II D.Min., the assistant director of student conduct and community standards, was named the GTCC staff award winner.
Tonalmitzin (Toni) Guzman Perez was named the student winner of the GTCC MLK Jr. Service Award.
In honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the award honors members of the GTCC community who demonstrate a commitment to King’s ideals and further the college’s commitment to diversity. Nominees must exemplify a commitment to fostering a diverse campus community and a personal commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“I have a dream Dr. Martin Luther King once said. Today, I can say I share his dream too," said Guzman Perez. “Braveness, leadership, but most important sharing our hearts. This is the way to accomplish peace and happiness, the dream we want. I’m sure good things are to come.”
Guzman Perez, a chemistry major, helped guide the chemistry club while also serving as the president of the International Club and volunteering in the community.
Her nominator said, “I have seen Toni be resourceful countless times, and every time she succeeds in making the best of the situation and making everything run smoothly.”
Garraway provides a model for leadership to his students and goes the extra mile to help any engineering department students, according to his nominator, and works tirelessly with city, state, and private companies to help students find employment.
The award, Garraway said, “is a reflection of my passion for providing a diverse and communal pathway for student success.”
Barksdale was nominated for the award by a student, who said the professor’s “mentorship was encouraging and supportive of my education” and that Barksdale “exemplified leadership.”
“I am humbled by this award. The fact that this nomination came from a student makes this truly transformative,” said Barksdale. “Dr. King and I share membership in the same fraternity, and I am honored to accept this award for his posture toward justice, fairness, and equity.”
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