Students from all the city schools received praise for their hard work Thursday night at Mayor George Evans’ fourth annual Achievement Award banquet.

The special event was held at the George Evans Reception Hall. The ceremony honored outstanding third through 12th-grade students in the community. One boy and one girl from each grade were nominated by their respective schools.

“We decided we wanted to acknowledge young people based on their achievements, conduct, community service and things like that,” Evans said.

Author, engineer, mother and cancer survivor Joyce E. Pettway Brooks spoke at the banquet. She came with one goal in mind, which was to inspire the young people there. She spoke of her struggles in life, and her will to get up to face another day.

“Leaders don’t give in,” she said. “They don’t give up, and they don’t quit.”

During the awards show, students were given medallions, certificates and T-shirts for their accomplishments. High school seniors received $1,500 scholarships from Honda Lock as well as laptops.

Ellwood Christian senior Tyra Ross felt thankful for the honor. Ross is homeschooled, but works under Ellwood Christian’s curriculum. She also suffers from fibromyalgia.

“I’ve always been a scholar, but the fibromyalgia made it very hard,” she said. “I kind of felt like people forgot about me. It feels good for my work to be recognized.”

Recipients of the Mayor’s Inspirational Achievement Award include Amarii Rucker and Amber Stokes of Meadowview Christian; Kameryn Martin and Diante Thomas of Sophia P. Kingston Elementary; Jayun Bibb , Anna Stull and Grace Stull of Cathedral Academy; Antonia Tolbert and Josiah Scoon of Cedar Park Elementary; Colton Baggerly and Derrica Peterson of Meadowview Elementary; Karmollo Sullivan and Jada Jones of Payne Elementary; Jeffery Callens and Ladisia Malone of Edgewood Elementary; D’Andre Washington and Cornell Blevins of Knox Elementary; Valencia Bryant and Dylon Morgan of Clark Elementary; Aaliyah Simmons, Sierra Blanks and Temarika Watts of School of Discovery Genesis Center; Daniel Winfield, Ashley McPhillips and Kaylee Bell of Cathedral Academy; Grace Wilkinson, Chamber McGilberry, Brandi-Lynn Britt, Phillip Goodson, Jaycee Sanders, Wilks Chittom and Margaret Mims of Morgan Academy; Brianna Miles and Travion Johnson of R.B. Hudson Middle School; Tyra Ross and Shkinah Williams; and Aderick Moore, De’Andra Williams and Matthew Smith of Selma High School.