42 Summer School Grads Celebrated

“Yeah, Travis!” Nigel Warren shouted as his son crossed the stage to accept his high school diploma at a ceremony celebrating New Haven summer school graduates. 

That was the scene at Metropolitan Business Academy at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The graduation ceremony, which lasted two hours, celebrated students from various New Haven public high schools who took their last 1 – 2 credits during summer school and graduated a little later than their peers. 

Travis Warren, who graduated from Wilbur Cross, was one of 42 students who gathered in the Metropolitan Business Academy’s gymnasium to celebrate that achievement. Other schools represented among Tuesday’s grads included Cooperative Arts & Humanities, Hillhouse High, and more.

Mayor Justin Elicker, Supt. Madeline Negrón, and Asst. Supt. Keisha Redd-Hannans were also in attendance, and gave speeches before the graduates received their diplomas.

Redd-Hannans instructed the graduates to stand up, turn around to face the crowd, and thank their families for helping them achieve their goals.

“You were delayed, but not denied,” she told the graduates who sat before her. ​“We are proud of you!”

Travis’s dad Nigel is also proud of him, joking that he’s excited for his son to ​“pay bills.” The Warren family said they are looking forward to enjoying the rest of their summer and getting tan in the sun. 

Travis, who was the final graduate to cross the stage Tuesday, said his next steps are heading to Gateway Community College, with plans to transfer to Framingham State University in Massachusetts. He plans to major in sports management. His interest in the major stems from the sports he played in high school, which are football and baseball. 

Travis said he is grateful for the extra opportunity to graduate, and he wishes his fellow graduates luck in their future endeavors.

Many other speeches by attendees focused on the trait of perseverance the graduates possessed, with Mayor Elicker stating that summer school graduation is one of his favorites to attend because of that quality in the students. 

“There are times you wanted to stop, and you didn’t,” keynote speaker and Quinnipiac University professor Dr. Don McAulay Jr. said during his speech. ​“Don’t be late to your own party.”

Hillhouse graduate Maria Paz Moscoso is looking forward to attending Gateway Community college in the fall as well. She said her experience with summer school was ​“calm,” and she hopes for the same in her future education.

“It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish,” Building Leader Rachele Thomas said during her speech. She commended the students for showing up throughout the summer even though it was hot out and they would rather be on vacation instead.

After the guest speeches, students were invited to the podium to make short speeches before crossing the stage and receiving their diplomas. 

Many students thanked God, their families, and teachers who supported him. 

Graduate Cristian Edwards thanked his mom for ​“believing in me when I didn’t believe in an alarm clock.” He also thanked Google because ​“high school doesn’t have a manual.”

Justus Davis Graham, a Co-op graduate who was the first to walk the stage, said that graduating feels like a ​“weight lifted off his shoulders.” Graham added that he wanted to give up all the time, and even thought he wouldn’t be able to complete his summer school requirements in time. But he did graduate, and now he’s planning to attend Gateway Community College before transfering to the Miami School of Film, where he hopes to achieve his dreams of becoming a director. 

Justus’s mom Tiffany said their family is incredibly proud of him, and they plan to celebrate by going out to eat. She added that he also got a truck to celebrate his accomplishment as well. ​“He’s overcome a lot,” she said.

Graham’s advice to future students attending summer school is to ​“try to stay calm, keep going, and persevere.”