New London — Keynote speaker Geoffrey Spencer Taylor encouraged those present at the 32nd annual ecumenical service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday not to spend their time reflecting on King's many accolades, or to consider him a larger-than-life figure.

"Today instead is a day to reflect on our inner selves, what we are trying to accomplish, and why it is important," he said.

Taylor, the assistant director of the Office of Alumni Relations at Connecticut College, was speaking to those assembled at St. James Episcopal Church, as well as to the six Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Trust Fund recipients.

These recipients are accomplished high school students of color from across New London County who have demonstrated their knowledge of King's philosophy and their own commitment to serving the community. Taylor himself received the scholarship in 2007 and now serves on the trust's Board of Trustees.

King was an ordinary man, Taylor said, and his success came from his unwavering conviction as well as his ability to see and appreciate incremental progress.

"Important work is often slow moving and can certainly be tiresome and thankless. ... I hope you will take time for a bit of internal reflection each day and ask ourselves: 'What do I want to accomplish, and why is it important?'" he said.

The ceremony included performances by Peniel Music Ministry, the Union Baptist Church Bell Choir and Fitch High School Chamber Choir, who led those assembled in the singing of "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

For the students, the ceremony was also an opportunity to be recognized for the work they have taken on themselves.

Trustee Donetta Hodge, introducing East Lyme senior Anneliese Lapides to the audience, noted that she had helped rebuild two homes in New Orleans that were destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, and volunteers at fundraising events for the Special Olympics.

People who know Lapides, Hodge said, know she has "an empathetic heart and a reverence for the civil rights movement."

The other scholarship recipients volunteer their time at places like Groton Social Services, local safe homes, Read Across America, the New London Recreation Department and the Youth Action Council.

Many of the students have already shared their aspirations for making the world better, President of the Scholarship Fund Dr. James Mitchell pointed out, including opening up medical clinics abroad and returning to New London to serve on the Trust's Board.

The $20,000 scholarship was born out of the turmoil following King's assassination in 1968. Students at New London High School walked out of classes in protest, and in an effort to attract students back to school, teachers offered a $100 scholarship to the student who was the most committed to King's ideals.

"King was about education, not walking out," Lapides said.

The award drew the attention of community leaders including New London Mayor Eunice McLean Waller and her husband, William DeHomer Waller, who established a trust to continue the scholarship in perpetuity, which continues to evaluate candidates based on their "dedication to learning (and) understanding of Dr. King's mission," according to the application.

Diaj Toussaint, a senior at Norwich Free Academy, gave a reflection in which he pointed to the work his mother did in guiding him to where he is today. 

"No matter how fast you ran, her and the consequences would always catch up. ... Remember the time is always right to do what is right," Toussaint told the audience.

n.lynch@theday.com

Twitter: @_nathanlynch