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Bestselling author and commencement speaker, Nic Stone, gave the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) 2024 graduating class five words that could be fashioned into survival weapons:  gratitude, resilience, empathy, audacity and tenacity.

Stone addressed 22 seniors, their families and friends on Friday, May 17 in the middle of campus at the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Center.

Robin Hughes, PhD, dean of the SIUE School of Education Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) and CHS interim director, greeted the outdoor crowd in pleasant, sunny temperatures. “This is a special group of scholars,” said Hughes. “They endured what they would say, ‘a whole pandemic.’"

“We are here to celebrate these scholars and their accomplishments,” continued Hughes. “We know there is a future president sitting here. I believe there are a couple of U.S. Supreme Court Justices. There is a social media expert sitting out here. There are gifted athletes and scholars. There is a brilliant playwright here. And it’s all our job in this great outdoors to push these young people forward toward their goals. Graduates, propel yourselves beyond limitations. Go and be great!”

CHS Valedictorian Dannica Davis's charge to her fellow graduating class was to be authentic and resolute. But first, she acknowledged the CHS administrative staff for the significant role they each played in the lives of the graduates. 

“Graduating high school is only one step in our journey, and it won’t be our last,” said Davis. “As we move forward from today, I want you to remember how hard you’ve worked. Remember to stay true to yourselves and stand up for what you believe in.”

While not mentioned directly, there was one underlining theme in the remarks of the day:  fortitude.

“I want to give you five different words to put in your pockets for the next stage of your life,” said Stone. “The first word is gratitude. There will be times when things get really, really, dark, and you will have to find things that you are thankful for. The way that gratitude functions in the brain is that it helps shift your perspective.”

“The next word is resilience,” continued Stone. “There is no more of a resilient group of human beings than African Americans, especially the ones who are descended from chattel slavery. You are here because your descendants had the grit and resilience to keep going and survive.”

“Then there is empathy. It’s hard to be empathetic right now, especially toward people whose views and ideas denigrate us,” she said. “But there is something very powerful and life-giving about being able to connect with people on the level of their humanity.”

The final two words were audacity and tenacity. “Authentically and without apology, have the audacity to be yourself,” said Stone.

“Tenacity is a quality that is in us,” she noted. “We embody a strength as a people who are living and thriving in a country that is set on destroying us.”

The first letter of each of the five words, spell “great,” according to Stone. “These words are the components of greatness. I want you to hold on to them as tightly as you can.”

During the ceremony, CHS Assistant Director Liza Cummings, PhD, handed out special recognitions. The Meridian Scholarship was awarded to CHS valedictorian Dannica Davis. The W.F. Graebe Scholarship was presented to CHS salutatorian A’Khrya Allen and Aaliyah Coleman. CODE scholarships were awarded to Julez Hill and Laylah Leech.

“The Graebe Scholarship is for CHS students who have been accepted to SIUE,” said Cummings. “It is renewable for four years and covers the cost of tuition. Selected students have an outstanding academic status and an interest in STEM.” 

The Meridian Scholarship is the University’s most prestigious academic award. Designed for exemplary students, it covers four years of tuition, fees, housing, and meal plan. The Community-Oriented Digital Engagement Scholars (CODES) Scholarship is valued at the full undergraduate tuition for eight semesters across four academic years, if renewal conditions are met, according to Cummings.

The commencement ceremony also included the school’s traditional “Hope Rope” presentation, with senior class sponsors and CHS instructors Bridget Nelson and Johnathan Tate presiding. The “Hope Rope” was initiated by Venessa A. Brown, PhD, former associate athletics director for diversity, equity and inclusion, athletics chief diversity officer, professor of social work, and SIUE East St. Louis Center executive director. Brown, who was the CHS commencement speaker for 2017 and 2023, initiated the Hope Rope ceremony in 2015.

Other words of encouragement came from CHS senior sponsors Bridget Nelson and Johnathan Tate. “Go off into the world and fulfill your dreams. Go ahead and dare, dare to change the world. Make it a world where we all can live, work and be ourselves. Make it a special place for everyone. You have a destiny and it’s calling your name. Go answer that call,” wrote Nelson and Tate in “A Message From Your Senior Sponsors.”

The class of 2024 consisted of: A’Khrya Allen, salutatorian, Angel Belt, Theodric Belt, Tariq Brandon, Cartier Burton, Jerriona Butler, Jaelon Cohen, Aaliyh Coleman, Dannica Davis, Traveon Dennis, Robert Foster, Julez Hill, Carmen Holmes, Ja’Karia Jackson, Damani Jones, Laylah Leech, Chross Mister, Dar’Sean Montgomery, Kielynn Palmer, Jada Parker, Lathan Streater and D’Asha Thomas.

The SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School is a school-of-choice for families in the East St. Louis School District 189. The mission of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School is to prepare students who are career- and college-ready upon graduation. To achieve this mission, the school and its staff will positively impact the educational and economic lives of East St. Louis, Illinois youth through individualized instruction in core academic subjects, exploration of career interests and aptitudes, assistance in realizing students’ talents, high academic goals, and expectations that graduates will become competitive employees for the 21st century. 

The SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior prepares students in a wide range of fields including public health, exercise science, nutrition, instructional technology, psychology, speech-language pathology and audiology, educational administration, and teaching. Faculty members engage in leading-edge research, which enhances teaching and enriches the educational experience. The School supports the community through on-campus clinics, outreach to children and families, and a focused commitment to enhancing individual lives across the region. 

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The SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School Class of 2024 celebrated commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 17 at the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Center.