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Westfield Students Celebrated with a Graduation Parade
By Fletcher Word
Sojourner’s Truth Editor
Staff and faculty of
Westfield @ Phoenix Academy took to their autos on Thursday,
May 14, packed their vehicles with gifts and caravanned to
the homes of the academy’s seniors to honor the Class of
2020’s achievements.
“We do a party for
graduates every year,” explained Susan Nahaas, Westfield
counselor. “Since that was not able to happen, we decided to
take the party to them.”
Westfield is a Toledo
Public School academy for students who have had some
difficulty adjusting to the routine of the regular high
schools but seem to thrive in an atmosphere of small classes
with extra attention by faculty and staff.
“They excel with us,” said
Nahaas. “We give them small classes, interventions and we
love them to pieces!”
This year’s five Westfield
graduates are still student members of their regular high
schools, where they spend about half of their time and from
which they will receive their diplomas and where with other
seniors they would have marched in a commencement ceremony
had this been a normal year.
And all five are planning
to go on to college, two immediately on athletic
scholarships while three plan to work and continue their
education in the fall.
Aaliyah Armstrong, a
senior at Scott High School, has several options to play
college basketball but had not yet decided where she will
attend.
“Basketball is my life,”
she admits. Aaliyah has made the All-City and All-District
teams every year during her four-year high school career and
has been in the top five of scorers in the city during that
time.
“I’ve had a hard time
getting through since my brother was gunned down two years
ago,” she says. “I love helping others and have volunteered
regularly serving food to those in need and have made quite
a few visits to the Ronald McDonald House to volunteer
there.”
Delrico Stephens,
graduating from Rogers, is heading to the University of
Toledo for his first college year but would like to transfer
to Central State after that. He was on the TPS SMARTS
(Students Making Achievements Right This Second) team
representing Westfield for the past two years.
“I really enjoyed the
opportunity to meet other students from all over the
district and collaborate with them in work groups to make
TPS even better,” says Delrico. “I am looking forward to
starting classes in the fall and working towards a
bachelor’s degree in graphic design.”
Chy’Nyah Isom, also a
participant in the SMARTS team for Westfield, is graduating
from Scott High School and is currently working at Subway
and will be working toward a bachelor’s of arts in business
by taking a class or two in the fall. She envisions her own
childcare facility in her future.
“I enjoyed playing
different sports throughout high school such as soccer,
volleyball and boxing,” say Chy’Nyah. “I also had the
privilege to participate in the TPS SMARTS Team my junior
and senior year. I liked being a part of a team that made a
difference in my school and my community.”
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