Suffolk News-Herald

The Smart Set Club will honor 14 Hampton Roads citizens at its annual African-American Scholarship Banquet at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 2. The event will be held at Temple Beth El at 3927 Bridge Rd.

Those being honored are Ross Boone, Cynthia Buck, Karen Croston, William Freeman, Rev. Charles Harvin Sr., Patricia Montgomery, Brenda Nichols, Nancy Riddick, Ronald Thomas Sr., Howard Vass, Evelyn Wall, Clarence and Orpah West, and Sandra Williams.

nW. Ross Boone is the dean of Academic Programs for Paul D. Camp Community College and the campus director of the Oliver K. Hobbs Campus of the college in Suffolk. He is a graduate of the Nansemond County Public School System and holds graduate and post-graduate degrees from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, N.C. He has also completed advanced post-graduate study at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, in Charlottesville, Va.; The University of Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii; and Central State University in Xenia, Ohio.

nPastor Cynthia Buck, religious leader and teacher, is a native of Norfolk and is employed as an advanced chemistry teacher for honor students at I.C. Norcom High School. In 1997, she was selected &uot;Teacher of the Year&uot; for the city of Portsmouth and was also a runner-up for Virginia Teacher of the Year. She is a graduate of Old Dominion University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education and a Masters of Science degree in educational leadership. She is a lifelong member of New Bethlehem Church of Christ Disciples of Christ in Norfolk where she now serves as pastor.

nKaren D. Croston is the minister of music at East End Baptist Church and is a native of Philadelphia, Pa. She studied at Temple University in Philadelphia receiving her Bachelor’s degree in music education in 1982 and her Master’s degree in church music from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. in 1987.

nWilliam A. Freeman is a native of Suffolk and is a 1965 graduate of the former Booker T. Washington High School. He also attended Christopher Newport College for two years, graduated from the FBI Academy in 1981 and Virginia School of

Polygraph in 1987. He has completed numerous police schools including Drug Enforcement, Association School, Missing and Exploited Children and Top Gun. He honorably completed a tour of duty in the United States Air Force and served in Vietnam. He is serving as Chief of Police at the Suffolk Police Department.

nThe Rev. Charles L. Harvin Sr. is the pastor of Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal Church on Pine Street. He received his divine call from God in 1976 and has been the pastor at Lee’s Chapel A.M.E. Church in Bells Mills section of Chesapeake and Saint Paul A.M.E. Church in Portsmouth.

nPatricia Montgomery is a native of Burgaw, N.C., and is the principal at Booker T. Washington Elementary School. She has held numerous positions including classroom teacher, reading tutor and assistant principal. She began her professional career as a social worker in North Carolina and has been serving the youth of North Carolina and Virginia as an innovative educator for about 30 years.

nBrenda L. Nichols, a 1969 graduate of John F. Kennedy High School, went on to earn an associate degree in nursing at Norfolk State University in 1972. She has been a school nurse for 31 years, and works at John Yeates Middle School. She is the assistant director of King’s Kids of America Inc., a community outreach program for young people ages 4 to 23.

nRonald C. Thomas is a native of Suffolk and is an advocate for young people. He is a graduate of the former John F. Kennedy High School and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Fayetteville State University in North Carolina.

nNancy K. Riddick is a native of Suffolk and a graduate of the former Booker T. Washington High School in Suffolk and is a health care provider in Portsmouth. She also received a certificate in Religious Education from Franklinton Institute in Enfield, N.C. in 1958. She attended Norfolk State University with a major in nursing and graduated from Portsmouth school of Practical Nursing in 1968. She has received a Bachelor and a Doctorate of Human Letters degrees from Union Christian Bible Institute in Portsmouth and a Graduate Certificate from Sentara Mini Medical School.

nHoward J. Vass is a native of Portsmouth and a 1972 graduate of I.C. Norcom High School. He is employed with U.S. Foods Services in Virginia Beach. During the past year he started his NDASPRT Mobile Detailing business. NDASPRT is a pun for &uot;In the Spirit.&uot;

nEvelyn L. Wall is a native of Suffolk and an award-winning journalist. She is a 1962 graduate of the former Booker T. Washington High School and attended Norfolk State University for a two-year course majoring in secretarial science. She began working as a school secretary at Oakland Elementary School in 1965 and worked there for six years and began working at the Suffolk News-Herald in April 1972.

nClarence and Orpah West are residents of Suffolk and graduates of the former East Suffolk High School. They both attended Norfolk State University. Clarence later entered the U.S. Army where he served for three years. He is retired from the Norfolk Naval Supply center as general foreman. He is also retired from the Army Reserves after 30 years.

Orpah completed the School of Professional Nursing and did further study at Old Dominion University. She retired after 24 years at The Pruden Center for Industry and Technology as an instructor of health occupations-nurses aide class and over 40 years of service in the nursing profession.

nSandra D. Williams is a native of Norfolk and was educated in Norfolk Public Schools. She continued her education at Norfolk State University for two years majoring in early childhood education. She is employed by the STOP Program as a Head Start teacher at the Oakmont Family Investment Center.

She is also a senior honor student at the Norfolk campus of TCC working towards her Associates degree in Early Childhood Development.