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It was the first days of her freshman year, and Jakailah Hardiman remembers Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School’s (CHS) Colin Neumeyer saying he believed she was going to be a great student.

That was four years ago, and not only is Hardiman CHS’s valedictorian, but she is an SIUE Meridian Scholarship winner. The Meridian Scholarship is a four-year, tuition, fees, room and board paid award. Hardiman also won a full ride to Saint Louis University and Harris-Stowe State University. She chose SIUE, where she plans to major in Education.

“Mr.  Neumeyer was one of the first teachers to say he believed in me,” said Hardiman, of the CHS English teacher. “It was nice, and it encouraged me, even more, to excel in my academics.” She has a grade point average of 4.00.

CHS English teacher Bridget Nelson has also inspired Hardiman along the way. “Mrs. Nelson is a great teacher and is supportive,” she said. “She has helped me a lot.”

While her teachers have been important, Hardiman said she has been personally motivated to do well scholastically. She has wanted to be her high school valedictorian since the eighth grade. As a student, Hardiman describes herself as determined and a bit of a perfectionist.

“I work hard because I enjoy my studies, and I don’t want to fail,” she explained.

During COVID, however, Hardiman fell on challenging times academically and emotionally.

“Like everyone else, it was hard for me,” recalled Hardiman. “I lost a lot of my motivation because I was used to going to school in person, and that is how I learn the best. I even got a C in my Algebra II class for the midterm.”

It took digging deep and pulling several all-nighters for Hardiman to get her grades and mood to start climbing back up. “I didn’t want to flunk, and my anxiousness motivated me to do what I had to do.”

Looking back at her high school career, Hardiman is grateful she went to CHS and describes fun-filled, good and valuable times that included Pi Days, STEAM Days, field trips, talent shows, caring instructors and prom. Much to her surprise, Hardiman and her boyfriend, Makel Wells, were named the 2023 King and Queen of the CHS prom.

“I was extremely shocked,” she said. “When I heard my name called, I was wondering if they were going to call Makel’s, too. And they did!" 

Hardiman said she is excited to start SIUE in the fall. She has plans on teaching English as a Second Language. While she’s always loved English and grammar, Hardiman became interested in the Korean language during the pandemic.

“One day during COVID, I was on the internet and came across some K-pop (Korean popular music),” shared Hardiman. “It was really entertaining and interesting, and it made me want to learn more about the culture and the language.”

Hardiman began teaching herself how to speak and read Korean. “It was during that time that I realized how much I like breaking down a language,” she said. “I began displaying and teaching it to my family.”  

As an English instructor, Hardiman will be following in the footsteps of her mother, Tironica Dent, who teaches English at Mason-Clark Middle School in East St. Louis. Hardiman will also be following her sister, Aaliyah Dent, to SIUE. Dent earned a doctorate in pharmacy from SIUE in 2022. Hardiman added that her sister, Ananda Dent, graduated from Harris-Stowe with a degree in biology on May 6. While she is proud of her family, she confessed that it is a two-way street.

“My family is really proud of me for being selected for a Meridian Scholarship,” said Hardiman. “They knew about it and tried to hide it from me. They brought me to school, and I didn’t know anything about it. When I got to school there was a red carpet down. I was really surprised.”

Photo: Jakailah Hardiman, a 2023 SIUE Meridian Scholarship recipient, SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School valedictorian and CHS Prom Queen.