Graduation
“We are changing the world one act of love at a time.” – Niki Ross, Principal of Simon Youth Academy at Sugarloaf Mills and Simon Youth Academy at Phoenix High School , Gwinnett County Public Schools, Suwanee, Georgia.
The work of an educator is complex and multifaceted. No educator has the luxury of just delivering lessons. For those who are called to be Alternative Educators, the job is even more challenging. They are teachers, leaders, listeners, advisors, cajolers, and, yes, caregivers. When Niki included this quote in her graduation address to the students of the two Simon Youth Academies in Gwinnett County, she wasn’t speaking to just the staff, or the students, or the students’ families. She was giving notice that through those very intentional acts of love, they were going to be a force for change in their school district, community, state, and country. Changing the world might take a little longer, but it will happen. They are preparing students to meet all the challenges that lie before them by ensuring they have the academic, social-emotional, and workforce skills they need. And they do it with love.
This year, SYF is celebrating 25 years of supporting Alternative Education. Our philosophy is similar to that of Niki and her staff. We are changing the world one act of love and one student at a time. Over the course of 25 years, those acts of love and graduates have continued to add up. We are proud of all of our graduates and celebrate with our Academies when they reach significant milestones.
One of the milestones we recognize is when an Academy graduates 1,000 students or a multiple of 1,000 students. This spring, Simon Youth Kelley Academy at Lincoln Park Center in Knoxville, Tennessee celebrated their 2,000th graduate, Rebecca Lesan, and kept going. In their 12 years as a Simon Youth Academy, they have graduated a total of 2,031 students. Simon Youth Kelley Academy at Lincoln Park Center is the second Academy in the history of SFY to graduate over 2,000 students.
SYF is proud to have celebrated with our 1,823 graduates from the 2022-2023 academic year. These remarkable students increased the number of SYF graduates to over 28,000 since the inception of the Foundation.
Graduate Spotlight
Jacob (Jake) Wright attended Simon Youth Academy at Clark-Pleasant in Whiteland, Indiana. He was the first ever Class President at the Academy, as well as a 2022-2023 recipient of a Simon Youth Foundation scholarship. Jake has stated that without the Academy and the support of his teachers, he would not have made it to his graduation day. For a student who has endured and triumphed over many challenges, the impact of being able to enroll in an Alternative Education program cannot be overstated.
In his commencement address as the Class President, Jake said, “I don’t know if I would have ever been able to go back to school. My anxiety at the beginning of the school year was terrible. It was hard for me to leave my home, associate with anyone, and take on a new beginning of coming back to school. Yet here I stand in front of you all giving this speech.”
Jake will be attending Ivy Tech in the fall as an Engineering major. After completing his associate degree, he plans to transfer to a 4-year University in Indiana to complete his Bachelor of Science degree.
Are you a Simon Youth Academy Graduate? Stay in touch.
Join the SYF’s Alumni Network. We would enjoy hearing from you.
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