HJ937: Commending Omicron Kappa Kappa.
WHEREAS, Sarah Grim Scyphers of Meadowview won the prestigious 2017 American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award; and
WHEREAS, a native of Floyd County, Sarah Scyphers received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Virginia Tech, and she and her husband and two children run a commercial sheep and cattle farm in Washington County; and
WHEREAS, Sarah Scyphers is an agriculture teacher and FFA adviser at Holston High School in Damascus, where she has worked for almost nine years; and
WHEREAS, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes individuals under the age of 35 for involvement in agriculture, leadership ability, and involvement and participation in Farm Bureau and other organizations; and
WHEREAS, Sarah Scyphers won the 2016 Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award, and she competed for the national excellence award against men and women from 28 states; and
WHEREAS, Sarah Scyphers won the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award based on her zealous leadership efforts to promote agriculture education and agricultural careers in Southwest Virginia; and
WHEREAS, Sarah Scyphers has advocated for updating the Commonwealth’s aging agriculture curriculum, helped students prepare for and look to agriculture careers, and been a facilitator for Agriculture in the Classroom, which teaches children about the importance of agriculture; and
WHEREAS, Sarah Scyphers won a Models of Innovation grant from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Virginia Tech, and she used the funding to develop an outdoor learning lab classroom at her school; she also set up a program for high school students to educate third graders about agriculture; and
WHEREAS, Sarah Scyphers was announced as the Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award winner at the AFBF annual convention in Phoenix, Arizona, and the award comes with a new 2017 pickup truck; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Sarah Grim Scyphers on winning the prestigious 2017 American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Sarah Grim Scyphers as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for her dedication and leadership in the field of agriculture education.
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 937
WHEREAS, Omicron Kappa Kappa, a historically African-American fraternity that uplifts and supports the next generation of minority youth in their community, was honored by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and Cornerstones, Inc., with a prestigious 2019 Cornerstones of Our Community Best of Reston Award; and
WHEREAS, the Best of Reston Awards honors individuals, organizations, and companies that have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to helping others and improving the lives of people throughout the Greater Reston area; and
WHEREAS, Omicron Kappa Kappa is a part of the umbrella Omega Psi Phi Fraternity; the all-volunteer nonprofit’s mission is to participate in the lives of minority youth in the Western Fairfax County area, and to provide them a beacon of hope; members are passionate about being a catalyst for young people of color to experience a brighter tomorrow; and
WHEREAS, since Omicron Kappa Kappa was chartered in 1996 in Reston/Herndon, they have uplifted the community with enthusiasm and pride through a variety of service and civic affairs programs and initiatives led by the members of the fraternity who are unique in that all are accomplished African-American men who have made it against all odds, many leading and participating in the civil rights movement; and
WHEREAS, Omicron Kappa Kappa members contribute to worthy causes throughout the community, including at the Embry Rucker Community Shelter and the Reston Chamber of Commerce, and in various local tutoring programs; they are a leading volunteer force at local community events such as the Taste of Reston, Flavors of the Fall, Relay for Life, Reston Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday Celebration, Northern Virginia Project Giveback, Dr. Charles Drew Blood Drive, and Fairfax County’s Road DAWG summer camp for at-risk youth; and
WHEREAS, moving toward their goal of uplifting the community, Omicron Kappa Kappa recently initiated a partnership with Microsoft where members offer hands-on technology workshops for local underprivileged youth; to pay it forward in order to better humanity, the fraternity also provides scholarships to minority Fairfax County Public School students; and
WHEREAS, Omicron Kappa Kappa has received several awards for their efforts, including a 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award for Excellence by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and Charity of the Month at Not Your Average Joe’s of Reston; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Omicron Kappa Kappa, a historically African-American fraternity, for its work uplifting and supporting the next generation of minority youth in their community and on its well-deserved 2019 Best of Reston award; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Omicron Kappa Kappa as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the fraternity’s enduring commitment to making Reston a special place to live, work, and play.