“Today was very emotional,” said Malika Godbolt-Berry, a kindergarten teacher at P9 @ PS 882, a District 75 program in Jamaica, Queens, who was celebrating her new tenure status. “I’ve been through so much to get here,” she said. Godbolt-Berry was among more than 50 educators recognized at the union’s first District 75 Tenure Celebration at UFT headquarters in Manhattan on June 11. The room was full of laughter and some tears as UFT representatives handed out certificates. “Tenure is important. It gives you the ability to say what your students need,” said Amanda Peña, a teacher at PS 811 in the East Morrisania section of the Bronx. Godbolt-Berry agreed. “Protection and rights are important for teachers,” she said. “Tenure gives us a voice.” David Doorga, the UFT District 75 representative, said tenure is a “huge undertaking.” Teachers were happy to reach the milestone but also to spend time together. “We’re more than a district or even a community,” said Doorga. “We’re a family.”