The Plymouth No Place for Hate Committee presented its eighth annual Outstanding Citizenship Award to two Plymouth high school students at the July 8 Select Board Meeting. The purpose of this award is to recognize students who have shown a commitment to social justice by challenging discrimination or bigotry through his/her actions, and/or who actively works to celebrate diversity and inclusivity or to protect the civil rights of all people in our community. A financial gift is included in the award.
The first recipient of the 2025 No Place for Hate Outstanding Citizenship Award is Zoe Wodja, a 2025 graduate of Plymouth South High School.
Zoe was nominated by Alison Shaver, who was her teacher this year in a course called Human Behaviors. This was a psychology/sociology hybrid course geared toward students in the school’s Autism Spectrum Disorder program. Zoe was placed to serve as a mentor to the ASD students, a role which demonstrated her unique gifts and character. Ms. Shaver notes “Zoe was forced to dig deeper into her understanding of topics presented in order to help the other students be successful. Zoe will always reach out to the student who needs a bit more support to get them moving and has such a positive attitude it is infectious. It is clear that being in a leadership role comes naturally to Zoe and that she enjoys helping others. And she always does it with a smile on her face and makes sure that everyone feels equal.”
Here’s what Zoe had to say about her experience in the class: “I was happy to be able to make connections with all of the ASD kids, by not only talking to them in the classroom but also in the halls or even by text. Yes, it was sometimes challenging but we worked through it all together. It made me very happy when I knew I had that class.”
Zoe also participated in her school’s Allies for Equity Club. Its purpose is to celebrate diversity and make the school more inclusive. One activity of the club which illustrates this mission is to make posters each month celebrating a different minority, including Black History month, Pride month, and Down’s Syndrome Awareness month. As Zoe explains, “We plan to make the posters and put them up all around the school building, to hopefully open the eyes of students walking by.”
This year, for the first time, we asked the award recipients this question: If there was one problem in society today which you had the power to solve, what would it be…and why? Zoe’s answer? “I would want to solve bullying…because the impact of getting bullied hurts people more than we know and it can make our world a better place if no one is bullied. People need to treat others the way that they want to be treated.”
The second recipient of this year’s Outstanding Citizenship Award is Cassidy Maciel, a rising senior at the Rising Tide Charter Public School. She was nominated by Dr. Joseph Fisher, her College and Future Planning counselor. Here are a few things he had to say about Cassidy:
“Cassidy is an agent of positive change in all of her communities. She volunteered working with children through Plymouth Rec and the YMCA, ensuring that underserved youth would have an opportunity to celebrate holidays like Halloween and Easter. She participated in the first major event of our Inclusive Events Club, in which we hosted high-school aged students with learning and cognitive challenges from the Riverview School. Cassidy was also a core member of our Service Club, through which she handwrote cards with positive messaging for veterans and nursing home patients. When the club disbanded, she reached out to the organization Love for Elders so that she could continue her work—this time writing personalized letters for dementia patients.
Cassidy’s newest project, however, might embody her best of all. She has long planned to pursue a career in fashion design, and she has been making her own clothes since she was eight years old. This summer she is transitioning from student to teacher at M.I.Y. Studio and leading free sewing classes for low-income families to help address clothing insecurity. Cassidy firmly believes that fashion, like all things in life, ought to have a social justice component.”
Here’s Cassidy’s perspective on this: “I plan to pursue an education in fashion design with a focus on how the fashion industry impacts society and the ways in which fashion can be used as a catalyst for social change. I am especially focused on the environmental impact of the industry since this is such a prominent issue we are facing. I am also looking to become more involved with social movements and to work this into my future career in order to make a larger impact.”
When asked Cassidy the question about a problem facing society, here’s what she offered: “If I could change anything in society, I would want to make people more open-minded. The world is very divided, especially recently, and I believe this division breeds hatred. Many of the world’s problems have solutions, yet people are unwilling to listen to each other long enough to implement these solutions. If people were more willing to listen to others, even if they have opposing ideas, I believe everyone could gain valuable insights, and more of the world’s problems could be solved.”
Ms. Wodja and Ms. Maciel were also presented with citations from the offices of state representatives Michelle Badger and Kathy LaNatra and state senator Dylan Fernandes.
If you wish to help the No Place for Hate Committee to fund future Outstanding Citizenship Awards, you may send a check to Town of Plymouth, Attn. Treasurer, 26 Court St., Plymouth, MA, 02360. Please make your check payable to the Town of Plymouth. The awards are funded solely through private donations.
For more information about the No Place for Hate Committee, see its Facebook page or its website.
– Jon Plate