2024 Black Youth Achievement Awards
Our Mistress of Ceremonies
Mikea Turner
Mikea Turner is a weeknight evening news anchor for WWBT NBC12 in Richmond, Virginia. She joined the news team after spending five years at the CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C., the area she grew up. While there, Mikea earned an Emmy nomination while serving as a weekend morning anchor, morning live reporter and fill-in traffic anchor. She wore many hats as a multimedia journalist. She loves a challenge!
Mikea’s most memorable stories include coverage of the historic opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, COVID 19’s widespread impact and more. A one-on-one with Martin Luther King III, ahead of the 2020 March on Washington, is one of her most prominent interviews.
Before Mikea joined WUSA9, she was a morning live reporter and fill-in news anchor, producer and weather forecaster at WBOC-TV16/ FOX21 in Salisbury, MD. Prior to WBOC-TV 16/ FOX 21, Mikea worked as a general assignment reporter and co-anchor at Prince George's Community Television (CTV), a hyperlocal cable news station, where she launched a segment entitled, “ Inspirational Moments with Mikea,” that put the spotlight on Prince George’s County residents making a difference in the community.
Mikea attended Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey New Brunswick/ Piscataway, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/ Media Studies and minored in Japanese.
Mikea is an advocate for the ALS Association and hopes to raise more awareness about early detection for breast cancer. She’s also a member of the National Association of Black Journalists(NABJ) and the Rutgers Alumni Mentoring Program.
Name, Title
Established in 1978, which recognizes African American students for their academic and other achievements in Montgomery County.
Black Youth Achievement Awards (BYAAs), students are recognized in five categories, receiving certificates for their noteworthy accomplishments: W.EB. DuBois for Academic Excellence (3.5 or higher GPA); Paul Robeson for Versatility (students excel in 3 or more of the categories); Jesse Owens for Athletics; Duke Ellington for the Arts and Martin Luther King, Jr. for Citizenship.
Students are nominated annually by the MCPS High School Counselors. Twenty-six schools participated in our 2021 program this year. Approximately 3,000 certificates were prepared for the students to be presented at the awards program. Approximately 1000 people will attended, including distinguished members of the Montgomery County School Board, teachers, counselors, students, family and friends.
Our programs support the learning and living of our youth.