Graduation
What does graduation mean to a Simon Youth Academy? In order to get an answer for this question, perhaps we should start with the definition of graduation. According to Merriam-Websters Dictionary, graduation is defined as “the award or acceptance of an academic degree or diploma.” The Oxford Languages dictionary, the world’s leading dictionary, defines graduation as “the receiving or conferring of an academic degree or diploma.” So, when it comes to defining graduation, there is agreement that it is defined as a simple act of having earned and being given an academic degree.
For students enrolled in Simon Youth Academies, graduation has a far deeper impact and meaning than just being as Oxford Languages defines it, “the receiving or conferring of an academic degree or diploma”. Depending upon who you ask, the answer to this question will probably be filled with personal stories of accomplishments and overcoming exceptional odds. Throughout the thirty-two academies across the country, each student could tell you their own personal journey to reaching graduation.
All Simon Youth Academies share a mission of working with students who are at risk of not graduating from high school and are experiencing challenges in their lives that make it difficult for them to succeed in a traditional high school setting. The teachers are passionate about working in alternative education and are committed to helping students deal with the challenges in their lives while also continuing to successfully complete their academic requirements to obtain a high school diploma.
Each of our Simon Youth Academies have come up with their own way to celebrate their student’s success, the following are a few:
At the Simon Youth Clark-Pleasant Academy, teachers ring a bell when a student finishes all of their course work to meet graduation requirements. This has become a treasured moment for graduates and the academies unique way of honoring the accomplishments of their students. Check out Jazzy and Jaden celebrating their achievements.
The Simon Youth Academy at Richmond High School has another unique way in which they celebrate their students’ accomplishments. A Wall of Fame has been established in a hallway in the Academy. Each graduate gets the honor of signing a section of the wall with paint pens when they finish their graduation requirements. A student’s signature on the wall has become a rite of passage for the academy.
There are many more examples of ways in which educators have come up with to recognize and honor their student’s success in earning their high school diploma. For many of their students, graduation was not something they saw as something that was in their future. However, through all of the odds, they achieved it.
What does graduation mean to a Simon Youth Academy? For graduates, it means:
HOPE – OPPORTUNITY – A CHANCE – TO BE SOMEBODY – BECOMING AN ADULT – ACCOMPLISHMENT
Graduate Spotlight
Malachi “Terrell” Boyd
2023 Graduate – Simon Youth Academy at Circle Centre Mall
Similar to a majority of students who attend a Simon Youth Academy, Terrell enrolled in the Simon Youth Academy at Circle Centre Mall as a result of many challenges that he was experiencing in his life. This decision would end up providing him with the much-needed support, mentoring, and opportunities that he was not receiving at his traditional high school.
When educators at Simon Youth Academy at Circle Centre Mall welcomed Terrell to the Academy, they found themselves with a young man who was articulate and mature beyond his years. As the youngest of 5 kids in his family, Terrell had his sights set on attending Tennessee State University to eventually have a career in financial investment or real estate. As Terrell has travelled along his path to achieve success in his life, he has experienced first-hand how getting where you want to go just may not be a straight line.
Attending the Circle Centre Mall Academy was a high point for Terrell. It was at the Academy where he found that he had a network of people who were there to support him and not let him fail. One of his biggest strengths was his compassion for helping others. However, this would also create challenges for him.
Teachers quickly noticed Terrell’s tendency to miss a lot of days from school. Rather than dismissing him as someone who did not want to be there, teachers sprang into action to understand why. They found out that Terrell was helping his mother who has had severe health problems throughout most of Terrell’s life. He was trying to be a high school student and care giver at the same time.
Educators at the Academy saw an opportunity to help Terrell. The Academy’s participation in the Close Up Foundation Trip to Washington D.C. was coming up. Maintaining good attendance was one of the criteria for a student to be selected for the trip. However, everyone knew that this trip would be good for Terrell. He was selected as one of the four students from the Academy to participate. According to his teachers, this trip changed his life. He ended up having a lot of firsts. For the first time, he visited our nation’s capitol, where he had the opportunity to learn about civic engagement, tour DC, meet students from across the country, and meet his representatives on Capitol Hill. He never dreamed that he could have had this opportunity. He was inspired.
Terrell applied and was accepted into the One America Junior Fellowship program. Terrell shined in the internship program and earned a part-time position providing the flexibility that he needed to attend school and support mom. Terrell continues to work towards his goals, and with his village of support we are confident that he will achieve them. Look out world, Terrell is a high school graduate from the Simon Youth Academy at Circle Centre Mall, and he will do Big Things in his life.
Are you a Simon Youth Academy Graduate? Stay in touch.
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