Awards recognize incredible resilience, dedication

By Rebecca Aguilar

“Like many immigrants, I came in search of opportunity,” said Dr. Sidonie Niba, who left her homeland of Cameroon for the United States more than 20 years ago. On Friday, June 13, she and six other immigrants were recognized for their major contribution to North Texas at the 14th Annual Immigrant Journey Awards. 

June is Immigrant Heritage Month, and that’s one of the reasons Dallas immigration attorney Ann Badmus started this awards event. She said the awards have a deeper meaning for immigrants, many of whom do not feel welcome here. “We established these awards to recognize the incredible resilience and dedication of immigrants who excel in their fields but also make contributions to our community,” said Badmus. 

Sidonie Niba received the Immigrant Entrepreneur Award for building the African Think Tank. The nonprofit organization supports Africans who have made the U.S. their home. “What truly shaped my path was a calling to create a space for others like me whose stories are rich, complex, and often overlooked,” Niba told the audience at the awards ceremony held at the Communities Foundation of Texas. “I’m not invisible, even though we’re made to believe we’re invisible,” said Fernando Vasquez, who was five years old when his father took the family from Mexico to California. Vazquez was one of three immigrants recognized with the Immigrant Professional Excellence Award. At the ceremony, he said teachers made a difference in his life. “If it wasn’t for the teachers who cared about me, believed in me, taught me to speak English, I wouldn’t be where I am.” Today, Vasquez is the assistant dean of the College of Medicine at Texas A&M University. 

Sapna Punjabi came to Texas from India. She was also recognized with an Immigrant Professional Excellence Award. “I came here almost two decades ago on a student visa, two suitcases and a heart full of dreams.” Since then, Punjabi has received her master’s in nutrition, became a clinical dietician and cookbook author, and started “beSpiced,” an online Indian Food wellness program. “I started beSpiced not only to explore food but to invite people into a way of living. Bold, intentional, and rooted.”

The American Immigration Council reports that 1.6 million immigrants live in North Texas as of 2023. And they have a spending power of more than $55 billion. “Being an immigrant is not easy; it has never been, especially today in a polarized world,” said Prajakta Pradikar, who took home the Immigrant Spirit award. She started the Prerana Skahi Network in Plano after experiencing loneliness and isolation when she got here 25 years ago from South Asia. She knew other South Asians were feeling the same way. “We talk about things that are often whispered but not spoken outside.” The network offers meetups and a safe space where South Asian women can access help with financial literacy, support for mental health issues, and even guidance on driving.

More than 200 people attended the awards ceremony. Another award recipient was Nigerian artist Sedas Alade, who received the Immigrant Spirit Award. 

Jackie Guevara, a journalist born in Ecuador, also received an Immigrant Professional Excellence Award. The Immigrant Advocate Award was presented to Addis Tebebu, who works with the Ethiopian community through the Mutual Assistance Association for the Ethiopian Community.

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