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A group of students from the Martin Luther King Jr. Support Youth Group of Southeast Texas were recently honored with the Coretta Scott King Champion of Excellence Scholarship.

Terry Savoy-Hadley, president of the MLK Support Group, said the scholarship has been in existence for many years, adding scholarships were previously presented during the annual MLK Brunch in January. Scholarship recipients must be members of the MLK Youth Group, which was started five years ago.

Criteria for the scholarship are based on leadership skills and good character traits, which are traits Dr. King had, she said.

Going forward, members of the group take part in service projects and go on trips. The future recipients take a trip to Atlanta to visit the King Center.

Scholarship winners include:

• Madison Brown, Grambling State
• Emiliano Chavez, Bob Hope High School
• Marshalei’ Daniels, Memorial High School
• Patricia Grogan, Tekoa Academy
• Johndrakique LeBlanc, West Orange Stark
• Falyn Phillips, Nederland High School
• Garrett Plessala, Kelly High School
• Baile’ Randle, Beaumont United High School
• Mia Scroggs, Port Neches-Groves High School
• Miracle Queen, Woodrow Wilson Early College High School
• Jonathan Whitfield, West Brook High School
• Bethany Whitley, Lamar State College Port Arthur

In addition to the students, Woodrow Wilson Early College High School Principal LaSonya Batiste was named a Champion of Excellence winner.