Camden Students Celebrate Hispanic Heritage

CAMDEN – Janell Simpson stood in front of students from across the Camden City School District on Thursday and talked about Latino pioneers in history.

But Simpson, a 23-year officer with the Camden County Police Department, is a pioneer herself as the district celebrated “Pioneers of Change. Shaping the Future Together” at Dudley Family School.

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Simpson, an East Camden native who moved up the ranks in the department, was the first Latina captain and the first Latina deputy chief at CCPD.

She listed many pioneers for the children and talked of an environment that “encourages young Hispanics to pursue their passions.”

“Together, we can be the change that we wish to see,” she told them.

Students – from very young to high school – performed in the two-hour celebration. Many represented the varied nations of their families’ origins: While the Hispanic students share a language, they come from different cultural backgrounds.

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City School District Katrina T. McCombs said the event was a time to recognize the contributions of the Latino community.

It’s “extremely important for all of us to appreciate our roots,” she told the students.

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