Janice Hahn names Whittier students her Women of the Year

From left to right: Commissioner Caren Grisham, Mone’t Carter, Allison Collachio, Supervisor Janice Hahn, Andrea Prillwitz, and Commissioner Amy Horvath

WHITTIER — Supervisor Janice Hahn on Tuesday named Graves Middle School students Alison Colacchio, Mone’t Carter, and Andrea Prillwitz the Fourth District’s Women of the Year at the annual awards and scholarship Luncheon hosted by the LA County Commission for Women.

In April 2018, a classmate of the three girls, Oliver, was hit by a car while using the crosswalk on Meyer Road at Fidel Avenue near Amelia Mayberry County Park.

Outraged by their classmate’s injury and eager to prevent a similar tragedy from taking place, the three seventh graders jumped into action and began advocating forcefully for much-needed safety upgrades to the popular crosswalk.

As Oliver recovered from critical injuries sustained during the collision, the three students spearheaded a letter-writing campaign and even testified at a Board of Supervisors weekly meeting at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in Downtown LA where they urged the Board to make the necessary improvements.

After hearing their concerns and personally meeting with the students, Hahn allocated the necessary funds and instructed the LA County Department of Public Works to make the improvements to the crosswalk as soon as possible.

In January, Hahn thanked the students for their advocacy during the unveiling of the newly lighted crosswalk. Today, she honored them for their leadership and follow-through.

“I am so impressed by these young women. They saw what happened to their classmate, recognized the problem, and decided to do something about it,” said Supervisor Hahn. “It is never too early to recognize your power and your ability to make a difference in your community.”

The Women of the Year Luncheon is an annual event hosted by the LA County Commission for Women. Every year, each Supervisor names an outstanding woman or women in their district. Last year, Supervisor Hahn honored Juana Melara, a hotel housekeeper who became a nationwide advocate against sexual assault and was featured in Time Magazine.