Richmond-area valedictorians want peers to know they can accomplish anything | Education

As the nation reels from the homicide of no less than 19 elementary schoolers and two lecturers in Uvalde, Texas, robbing them of their lives and academic journeys, Richmond-area highschool graduates are getting into a brand new chapter of their lives, whether or not persevering with their training, starting their profession or becoming a member of the navy. 

While highschool graduations have seemed totally different previously few years due to the coronavirus pandemic, traditions stay true, together with honor the highest college students of every graduating class.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch spoke with 4 space valedictorians, all of who will attend school in Virginia. Two aspire to be part of the medical area, one desires to turn out to be a lawyer, and one other, a medical psychologist.

Richmond-area graduations kicked off on Monday, as all of Chesterfield County’s graduates acquired their diplomas this previous week. Richmond, Hanover and Henrico public faculties graduate in June. (At the time of publication, Henrico County Public Schools didn’t present data for the district’s 2022 valedictorians).

Damarious Banks, 18, Richmond Public High Schools’ Armstrong High School valedictorian, will attend Norfolk State University

Most of the ladies in Damarious Banks’ household are nurses. His ardour for nursing started by way of his household.

After graduating from Armstrong High School subsequent month, Banks will proceed his training with a full-ride educational scholarship at Norfolk State University the place he’ll research nursing. Upon graduating, he’ll attend graduate college to turn out to be a pediatric nurse practitioner.

Banks, who first needed to turn out to be a physician, determined he didn’t want to go down that vigorous path. However, he nonetheless desires to apply drugs and work with children.

As a first-generation school pupil, attending a traditionally Black school or college was of the utmost significance to Banks. Black excellence and having a way of household in school drove his choice to attend an HBCU, in addition to the presence of a marching band.

From a younger age, Banks has loved music. His grandma first tried to educate him the piano, however Banks had no curiosity. He in the end determined to play the trumpet to comply with within the footsteps of his father. His dad, who attended John Marshall High School, was within the college’s band throughout his freshman and sophomore years.

Banks beloved enjoying the trumpet from the beginning. And as soon as he discovered of the marching band, his curiosity in music solely grew extra.

“From middle school to high school when I heard the marching band, I was like, ‘IT’S the marching band,’ ” Banks stated.

In writing his valedictorian speech, his predominant focus was to let his fellow classmates know that anything is feasible and that they can come again from anything.

“I like to call us the class of reconstruction,” Banks said. “We are the first class to come back into the building [since COVID began]. We are the first to show that anything is possible. We came back into this building from a virtual world.”

This summer, through the Partnership for the Future program, Banks will intern at the Children’s Museum of Richmond.

One day, Banks said, he will give back to Richmond, beginning with Armstrong High. He wants the excellence of Armstrong to be known, through creating his own foundation and creating a pipeline between the high school and Norfolk State.

“I wouldn’t know who I would be without having my education,” Banks stated. “It’s always been my life, coming to school since I was young. I’d do anything to succeed.”

Chesterfield County Public Schools’ Meadowbrook High School valedictorian Naldy Turcios, 18, will attend the University of Virginia

Naldy Turcios took a leap of religion when deciding on what her school main could be upon graduating from Meadowbrook High School’s International Baccalaureate Specialty Center because the 2022 valedictorian.

A primary-generation school pupil, Turcios went forwards and backwards between selecting to main in one thing she loves or a significant which may assure a superb job. She in the end adopted her coronary heart. Turcios will research political science on the University of Virginia.

Turcios stated she thought “UVA was the right place to pursue the rest of my education because of the opportunities it offers and it’s academically challenging so I know that I would grow in that environment too.” Turcios added that having the ability to comply with her goals of finding out political science whereas receiving monetary support to attend school has been a blessing for her and her mother.

After graduating from school, Turcios plans to attend legislation college. While she hasn’t determined precisely what sort of legislation she desires to pursue, she has a few concepts, together with immigration legislation.

Having seen buddies’ dad and mom being deported, Turcios stated, these private experiences will drive her ardour to assist others in the identical conditions.

“I have a very hard time speaking for myself sometimes, I get nervous,” she said. “But one thing I noticed about myself is that when I’m speaking up for somebody else, I get all this profound new confidence and I like helping other people. I like knowing that I can be a voice for them.”

As a young child, Turcios lived in Guatemala for four years. She came back to the United States when she was 9 years old. When she came to Chesterfield County, she was held back a grade level because she didn’t know English.

While Turcios received a lot of support in the third grade, she also faced discrimination. She remembers being only one of two Hispanic girls in her third grade class and a fellow student asked why she had moved to America if she couldn’t speak English.

“I try not to let it get to me because you know, I’m already here and I was born here,” Turcios stated. “So it was kind of like, ‘Where else would I go?’ “

Turcios ended up moving to another Chesterfield elementary school and the support she had received at her first school, stayed there. It was up to her to understand her teacher’s lessons while facing a language barrier.

“I went from being a top student in Guatemala to being a student that had no idea what was going on over here,” Turcios said. “And [for a period of time] it kind of took away my interest as far as in school.”

Becoming valedictorian was a bit unexpected for Turcios, as it was never her goal. Her drive and inspiration to achieve good grades was not for the honor, rather to receive merit scholarships for college.

“Being able to receive an education has really given me the foundation to advance in life,” Turcios stated. “I feel very blessed that I have been able to finish high school and I have the opportunity to attend college.

“When I was in Guatemala, even if you were ever to go and visit, once you get to the airport, you’re going to see kids as young as probably 5 either selling lollipops or newspapers outside [to help earn money for their families]” she added. “Kids don’t really have the chance to keep furthering their education.”

During her school’s graduation ceremony, Turcios took the time to notice how happy all of her peers were to be graduating. Parents were shouting from the stands in celebration, because they were so proud of their children.

Attending Meadowbrook High allowed Turcios to see the world “in completely different lenses.” The college’s wealthy variety uncovered Turcios to totally different cultures and ethnicities, but additionally allowed her to be taught the tales of her classmates, their struggles and the way they persevered.

Being a Meadowbrook graduate to Turcios means, “I’m more educated, not just in the sense of books but I’m also educated in life.”

In her recommendation to her peers, she stated not to quit after dealing with an impediment. “It’s important to know that the path to success is not one straight line. Sometimes things will not work out the way you expect it to and it might bring you down, but don’t lose sight of what you want.”

Before leaving for faculty, Turcios plans to discover a summer season job whereas taking an internet summer season program with UVA. As her mom’s translator, Turcios will take the summer season to assist her mother put together to reside aside and be prepared for any language-barrier difficulties that will come.

Ellie Cook, 18, valedictorian of Mechanicsville High School in Hanover County, is attend the University of Virginia

Ever since she was younger, Ellie Cook has discovered numerous pleasure and confidence in receiving good grades.

“It’s something that’s always motivated me,” Cook stated. “I love the feeling of putting in a lot of work and seeing the results from that.”

Next month, at her highschool commencement she might be honored as the highest of her class, because the valedictorian. In making ready her speech, she spoke with a few of her favourite lecturers, who significantly impacted her time at Mechanicsville High.

Cook’s speech contains Spanish instructor and National Honor Society sponsor Meilin Jao who has turn out to be a mentor to Cook by serving to her improve her confidence, particularly with public talking.

“I also included my own advice as well. We don’t have to have our path figured out right now, we have the time to find that and to be confident that we will find our path at some point,” Cook stated.

During her sophomore 12 months, Cook took an Advanced Placement psychology class and beloved it. The incoming University of Virginia pupil stated she has a pure capability to discuss to others and supply recommendation when wanted.

While her AP psychology class helped formed her objective to turn out to be a medical psychologist, Cook’s favourite class in highschool was her two-year International Baccalaureate History of Americas. The class totally lined a few subjects, together with authoritarian states. Cook discovered the course’s construction of spending appreciable time on every matter fascinating.

Having danced because the age of 4 and being a member of 804 Dance Place in Ashland, Cook would love to be part of a dance membership in school. She additionally desires to be part of golf equipment centered in volunteering and neighborhood service.

Richmond Public Schools’ Open High School valedictorian Sanaa Hayes, 18, will attend The College of William & Mary

Always drawn to arithmetic and sciences, upon graduating from Open High, Sanaa Hayes will main in biology underneath a pre-med observe at The College of William & Mary. She plans to attend medical college and research oncology.  Seeing her grandmother battle and beat breast most cancers has influenced Hayes to finally work with most cancers sufferers.

Attending school isn’t new for Hayes. At Open High, Hayes participated within the early school academy program. She took a majority of her lessons throughout her ultimate two years of highschool at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College.

Hayes acquired an affiliate’s diploma in social sciences from Reynolds earlier than formally graduating from highschool. Graduating from Reynolds is her favourite highschool reminiscence.

For her upcoming Open High commencement, in her valedictorian speech, Hayes goes to inform her classmates that regardless of the laborious occasions that they might face, they can all achieve success.

“Of course we’ve been through a lot of hard times and there’s more hard times that will eventually come in our future, there’s always people you can depend on … that you’re not alone,” Hayes said. “They [her peers] can be successful in whatever they’re doing, whether they’re going to college or whether they’re joining the workforce or anything like that.”

While juggling being both a high school and college student, Hayes balanced multiple jobs – babysitting, tutoring classmates and younger students and being a shift leader at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. This summer, through the Partnership for the Future program, Hayes will intern at the Science Museum of Virginia for the second summer, while still working at Tropical Smoothie.

During her internship last summer, Hayes spent a lot of time talking to guests about the museum’s dinosaur exhibit. She enjoyed playing with kids and telling them all about dinosaurs.

“Some kids new more things about dinosaurs than I did,” Hayes stated with amusing.

At William & Mary, Hayes is eager about becoming a member of the minorities in drugs membership and perhaps the hen watching membership. While hen watching isn’t a daily a part of her routine, Hayes is happy to enterprise out and check out new issues.