Award winners Page Animadu, Mirian Hoover, Jasmine Kaur and  UTMB President Dr. David Callender

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Three UTMB students were recognized Jan. 29 at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Excellence in Servant Leadership Award Ceremony and Luncheon. The annual ceremony celebrates the legacy of Dr. King by honoring faculty, students and staff who promote diversity, inclusion, civic engagement and service to UTMB and the greater community. The 2015 ceremony was hosted by the UTMB Diversity Council at Levin Hall.

After receiving a record number of nominations this year, three award winners were chosen, including Page Animadu, a fourth-year medical student; Jasmeet Kaur, a fourth-year medical student; and Mirian Hoover, a nursing student. Award recipients received an honorary plaque, in addition to a cash prize of $500 to be shared by the recipient ($250) and a charitable organization of their choice ($250).

Animadu was nominated by three different people for the award. She has provided community service in underserved areas from Texas to Kenya and has a passion for women’s advocacy and prevention of teenage pregnancies.

“I’m just really shocked, but also thankful. This is going to be a constant reminder to continue to give back in my community. Every time I look at the award, I will remember that what I do is appreciated and it’s not going unnoticed. That means so much to me,” she said.

Kelton D. Sams (center) with MLK award program committee membersThe guest speaker was Kelton D. Sams Jr., author of “Growing Up in Galveston, Texas.” Sams is currently writing his memoirs, which include leading his high school classmates to the successful desegregation of lunch counters in Galveston in 1960. He was only 17 years-old at the time. Desegregation soon spread to include most restaurants and beaches on the island.

Sams was brought to tears as he described his connection to UTMB. During his teenage years, he held his first job at UTMB in order to help support his family. His mother was offered his position when he left for college, and she accepted.

Sams went on to become president of the student body at Texas Southern University, where he majored in economics. He later became a minister in the United Church of Christ, and a black political leader in Texas. He has been a real estate broker, businessman and owner of a construction company in Houston. He retired as a construction project manager from the City of Houston in 2008.

A proclamation was presented to Sams, which declared Jan. 29 as Kelton D. Sams Jr. Day in Galveston.

There also were performances by The Ensemble Theater — a celebrated performing arts center that highlights African-American theater and outreach — that included a performance and Dr. King's famous  "If I had sneezed" speech.