Yunga Webb (Provided photo)

(Editor’s note: Winners of the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and Lake Placid News Biography Writing Contest were recently chosen. Here is the first-place entry for elementary school. The contest was open to students in the Olympic Region.)

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LAKE PLACID — Yunga Webb is a very intelligent leader in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (a.k.a. DEI). She was born on August 13, 1980, in Las Vegas, but is currently working in the Adirondacks as a faculty member at North Country School. That is why I have decided to write about her, her family, and her story.

Yunga was a city girl and so moving to the ADKs was challenging, being from somewhere so warm to a sudden change in temperature. But the degrees weren’t the biggest concern for her, for there was the dirt, bugs, and malls (or lack thereof). It’s kind of funny that one of Yunga’s favorite activities is walking because here she has to do it out in nature. She also likes watching reality TV shows and cooking. You might be asking yourself, “Why did she move here if she doesn’t like the outdoors?” She moved to the Adirondacks because North Country School (NCS) is supportive of diversity. When she heard of NCS, she felt like she had the option to make a difference and currently, she feels she has a seat at the table.

Ms. Webb is now in her second year at North Country School, where she guides the school in ensuring DEI is integrated throughout their program. She has taught and led community events to share the benefits of collaboration, communication, and empathy. Yunga encourages students to express themselves through art. The arts can help break barriers. She was able to teach the arts when she directed the play of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

Ms. Webb learned how to sing from her mother, who was a singing coach. Her mom is now her role model. Due to her mother, she moved to Los Angeles at age 16 to sing professionally. Yunga has performed two times with her family. Once at the Jordan Rising Stars game, where she performed the Black National Anthem with her sisters. The second time she performed with her whole family including her parents and eight siblings! She sang the U.S. national anthem before the NBA HBCU Classic college basketball game in Salt Lake City during the NBA all-star weekend. Ms. Webb felt nervous and like she couldn’t do it without her family, so family means a lot to her, and she needs them. She is also a single mother to Saiida Webb, who goes to Howard University.

Yunga earned a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion leadership certificate from Cornell University. Previously, at Brigham Young University, she got her Bachelor of Science in Sociology. She also got a Master of Arts in Education Instruction and Curriculum at the University of Phoenix.

The reason I decided to dedicate this article to her is because she is a very important leader to the Adirondacks. I believe that we need more people like her to help Essex County get more diversity. And though the Lake Placid News has featured Miss Webb in the past in a March 2, 2023, article, “Lifting every voice,” I wanted to bring my perspective to her story as a friend and writer. As a young African American girl, it is hard to relate to other girls. And I hope that when I am older, I can say that I have found people like me right here in the ADKs. Not in DC, not in NYC, right here.

(Taika Mzese just finished fourth grade at Lake Placid Elementary School. Her teacher was Amy Kramer.)

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Sponsors

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This year’s Biography Writing Contest sponsors are Curtis Lumber, Duff’s Dumpsters, Down and Dirty Excavating Services LLC, Eye Peek, Hyde Fuel, Phinney Design Group, The Bookstore Plus and Tri-Lakes Federal Credit Union.