In Paulette Roberts’ 54 years in Columbus, she has earned enough accolades to last her the next half century or more.
But what means perhaps most to the semi-retired educator, she confessed Wednesday evening, is her role with youth — and her work “to instill within them the character of a servant’s heart.”
Who better to teach them that than Roberts, The Republic’s 2024 Woman of the Year, honored in a ceremony before 150 people at The Commons in downtown Columbus.
The award, created in 1982 by former Republic lifestyle editor Jean Prather, highlights a local woman with years of selfless service, leadership, volunteerism and m0re.
Previous Women of the Year honorees are invited back to each ceremony and sit in the front row during the event. Last year’s winner, Janice Montgomery, presented Roberts with the Woman of the Year necklace, a tradition for the event.
Consider Roberts’ service to Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. students as a teacher for 34 years, to Bartholomew County and American history as she has played historical characters in public educational presentations, to Second Baptist Church, to the Columbus/Bartholomew County Branch of the NAACP, to the African American Foundation of Bartholomew County, to Black History Month, and more.
“If you light the path for others, your own path will become brighter,” Roberts said, paraphrasing former first lady Michelle Obama in her book “The Light We Carry” that Roberts recently read.
Roberts has done that in dozens of different ways, and earned multiple teaching honors that alone could fill an entire ceremony. Much of that was spotlighted in a highlight video shot and produced by Mike Wolanin, The Republic’s photo editor. Much of the video, narrated by Roberts’ friend and longtime community leader Lori Thompson, showed Roberts beaming in one of her most visible roles of the past 20 years: tutoring youngsters as part of the weekly Columbus Enrichment Achievement Program she founded.
“There is no question she is truly worthy (of Woman of the Year),” Thompson said.
Thompson should know. She volunteers alongside Roberts in the tutoring program every Saturday during most of the school year.
The 76-year-old native of the small, southeastern mountain community of Hazard, Kentucky, was nearly giddy after the ceremony, though she was more than careful to say that many others put her in position for such community service.
“No one is an island,” Roberts had just said in her speech. “I wouldn’t be here without all you guys.”
In the audience was her twin sister, Evetta Combs Crump of Florence, Kentucky.
“I am not surprised because my sister has always been a go-getter — a person who wants to help the young people, and wants to encourage the young people,” Crump said.
Also beaming with pride in the crowd was son Dennis Roberts II of Columbus.
“I praise God that she was able to receive this award,” her son said, crediting his mother for his academic motivation that led to his master’s degree in business administration. “She set the bar high even in our family. Education always was important, and she made it clear that there was no way around that.”
Republic Editor Julie McClure lauded Roberts as one “who has been such an inspiration to all of us with her dedication to the youth, community, and to encourage young people to reach their goals.”
Roberts acknowledged that her work on efforts ranging from Juneteenth to Kwanzaa have included elements of challenge, though not enough to stop her.
“If there were no struggle, then there also would be no progress,” Roberts said.
The Woman of the Year award comes with a $2,000 stipend from The Republic in which the honoree chooses where the money is to be donated.
Roberts split the award between her enrichment program and the African American Foundation. She recently mused aloud about retiring from some of her community work. But her son would hardly be surprised if she continues much of her work.
“I could see her doing a lot of this,” he said, “for maybe another 20 years.”
