The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) 2018 Graduating Class made history with its cumulative earning power of nearly $4 million in scholarships. The 28 seniors were lauded for their scholastic accomplishments during CHS’s commencement ceremony Friday, May 18 at Morris University Center’s Meridian Ballroom.
“This Charter High School graduating class is an amazing one. The students have some staggering numbers,” said SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook. “We have 28 people graduating, which is up from previous years. Then, these students have been offered $3,963,837 in scholarships, which is about $141,000 per student. In addition, these individuals have been accepted to 121 colleges, which is about four colleges per student.
“Many of them have already taken what is called dual enrollment college credit,” Pembrook continued, “and I want to thank Dr. Howard Rambsy for teaching English 205 African American Literature. We are extremely proud of you students. We are confident that you will do great things.”
“No matter what accomplishments you made, somebody else helped you,” CHS Valedictorian and 2018 SIUE Meridian Scholar Lake Crowell told the graduating class. “Charter School faculty and administrators, parents and friends, you all helped us a lot.
“It hasn’t been an easy journey for any of us,” said Crowell, who plans to major in engineering and management. “We have had to persevere, and we have learned valuable lessons that we will take with each of us.”
The obstacles that the students overcame are a valuable part of their stories, according to Paul Rose, PhD, interim dean of SIUE’s School of Education, Health and Human Behavior. “Another part of your stories are your goals. As you think of the next chapters in your lives, I hope you remember that those new experiences will inspire the people around you.”
Guest speaker Tony Thompson encouraged the graduating class to reach for a new dimension during this phase of their lives.
“You have greatness inside of you,” said the award-winning motivational speaker, author and entrepreneur from St. Louis. “The world is not going to give you anything. You must take your gifts, skills, passion and greatness, and build your life.”
Students recognized at the commencement address for other academic accomplishments included:
Dually achieving Southwestern Illinois College associate degrees – Emmanuel Brown, Sadie Doublin and Jamaine Owens. “It was hard to do both. I studied a lot and used flash cards,” said Doublin, who plans to study biomedical engineering and aerospace engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Willis Young Scholarship Award – Eyvonne Miller, who plans to attend SIUE, received the award named for CHS Assistant Director Willis Young.
Greater East St. Louis Community Fund – Pamela Coaxum, executive director of the Greater East St. Louis Community Fund, awarded scholarships to Zaria Brazier, Crowell, Brown, Owens, Naomi McNeil-Brewster, Rosie Searcy, Lamont Edwards, Tyrese Granger and Seth Luster. The scholarships ranged from $4,000-$10,000.
Mary Ann Henry Trunk Scholarship – Wendy Brown, president of the CHS Parent-Teacher Association, started the scholarship to honor her late aunt who was an advocate in helping further young people’s education. The seven students chosen included Lore’al Perkins, Zaria Brazier (salutatorian), Jourdan Wilson-Hopkins, McNeil-Brewster, Miller, Terraine Simmons and Crowell.
“In the words of Dr. Maya Angelou,” said CHS Director Gina Jeffries, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
“Class of 2018, I hope that the Charter High School has made you feel prepared and capable,” said Jeffries. “We pushed you, stretched you and placed our Charter mark on you, so that you are able to go out and conquer the world.”
The SIUE Charter High School is a school-of-choice for families in the East St. Louis School District 189. The mission of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School is to prepare students who are career- and college-ready upon graduation. To achieve this mission, the school and its staff will positively impact the educational and economic lives of East St. Louis, Illinois youth through individualized instruction in core academic subjects, exploration of career interests and aptitudes, assistance in realizing students' talents, high academic goals, and expectations that graduates will become competitive employees for the 21st century.
Photos:
CHS Valedictorian and 2018 SIUE Meridian Scholar Lake Crowell gives her address to the graduating class.
Students who also achieved a Southwestern Illinois College associate degree upon graduating from the CHS include (from left to right): Emmanuel Brown, Jamaine Owens and Sadie Doublin.
SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School Director Gina Jeffries, conducts the traditional Hope Rope Presentation, instituted by Venessa A. Brown, PhD, SIUE associate chancellor for the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, and chief diversity officer.
Commencement and motivational speaker Tony Thompson challenges the graduating class to take their lives “to a new level.”