Franklin Pierce University junior Andrea Rivera and Conant High School senior Ella Weinmann will take roles at the annual “Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.” event Jan. 16.
Weinmann will open and close the ceremony and perform with the CHS-JRMS chorus. Rivera will provide an interpretation and commentary on an MLK speech passage and introduce keynote speaker Aaron Mair.
As volunteers with the Jaffrey-Rindge MLK Committee, Rivera and Weinmann have been actively involved in planning the 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration. Rivera assumed responsibility for the speech-interpretation segment of the ceremony and researched potential National Day of Service projects.
Weinmann serves as school liaison for sixth-grade projects for the event and exhibit and is organizing volunteers for the ceremony and for bell-ringing at the United Church of Jaffrey. Every year, Jaffrey-Rindge student volunteers ring the church’s Revere bell as part of the National Bell Ringing Ceremony, “Let Freedom Ring: Choose Non-Violence,” that heralds the holiday across the country and beyond.
A Manchester native, Rivera is double-majoring in secondary education and history with a concentration in social studies. In addition to serving as the Franklin Pierce student representative to the Jaffrey-Rindge MLK Committee, Rivera volunteers at her university as treasurer of SISTUHS women’s group and vice president of the Education Club. She also works with the Peer Leader program and with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council as a member of A.L.A.N.A (African American, Latino/a, Native American & Asian American).
Concerning her service on the MLK Committee, Rivera stated, “I have always been passionate about human rights and activism, and I was looking for a way to make a difference off my campus in an area I wasn’t entirely familiar with. I am glad I was able to find the MLK Committee and able to take part in stimulating conversations about how to honor Martin Luther King Jr.”
Weinmann has been involved in school and community service throughout her Conant High School career. She is serving her second year as president of Conant Interact, the Rotary International student organization focused on service from local to global, and her fourth year as Conant Class of 2023 president. She is also vice president of the CHS chapter of the National Honor Society, which is fundraising and awareness-raising about food insecurity in the Jaffrey-Rindge community.
Now in her third year on the MLK Committee, Weinmann stated, “I joined the MLK Committee my sophomore year of high school when I was looking for more ways to be an active member in my community. Since then I have been able to connect with other members of my community in order to honor Doctor King and support his goal of serving those around us. It is a wonderful committee and one of the best experiences I have had in high school!”
“Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.” is Monday, Jan. 16, from 5 to 6 p.m. at The Park Theatre, 19 Main St. in Jaffrey, or livestream on parkyoutube.com. Admission is free.
The Jaffrey-Rindge MLK Committee welcomes new members from schools and the community. Jaffrey or Rindge residency is not required. For information, send email to jaffreyrindgemlk@gmail.com.