Congratulations to four of our rising stars!

Janela is a high school senior. Prior to social distancing, she was very active in school participating in track and field, flag football, dance, and cooking. Janela will be celebrating her commencement ceremony on May 29th from her living room via Zoom. She is very excited about her plans after graduation and has applied to FIU, FAMU, and Johnson & Wales to pursue her passion for culinary arts.

For the past 4 years, La’kenya has dreamt about the fun of being a Senior, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, her year was cut short. But La’kenya has experienced hardships throughout her life and continues to not allow any of it stop her from what is most important: her education and future life success. At age 15, she began working and saving money because she knew at a young age that she had no one to depend on but herself to accomplish her goals. During her Freshman year, she joined the Law Studies Academy program to help her prepare and excel in the legal profession. She has been accepted to FAMU where she will pursue studies in Criminal Justice.

When Ruggue heard the news of schools temporarily shutting down, he had no idea it would be the last time he would step foot in his high school. Like countless others, he was looking forward to a senior trip, prom, and walking across a stage to get his diploma. He now looks forward to joining his fellow classmates virtually on June 8th for graduation. Ruggue is on track to getting his diploma while being an active member of the 5000 Role Models and a JROTC Cadet. He will be attending Miami Dade College to study Computer Science.

Knowledge was an active senior at her high school and in her community. She was the Student Body Treasurer and a Sports Medical Trainer. She volunteered for two organizations that support the educational, social, and physical development of children. When she received the news that all activities including her graduation were canceled, she was heartbroken. Like many, she will join her classmates virtually on June 8th. After graduation, she wants to spend a year studying Cosmetology to have job opportunities available to her when she attends college. She plans to study Psychology at Miami Dade College and transfer to a university to pursue a dual degree in Social Work and Business Administration.