Students cheer after graduation ceremony Photo by Vernon Miles.
Doug Johnson struggled to explain what it feels like to be a father watching his daughter graduate.
“I can’t put it into words, I really can’t,” said Johnson. “She motivates me. She gives me such joy.”
His daughter, Anise Johnson, dedicated herself to cheerleading and her academics at Wakefield, and her father said he was impressed at how focused she was on her goals, even at the cost of a little of her social life. Doug Johnson said it paid off though, with her daughter securing an academic scholarship to Hampton University to study biology.
The recurring theme among the parents at the Wakefield High School Graduation on June 23 at Constitution Hall is that the students know the value of hard work. Mireya Sanchez said her son, Christian Berrios, threw himself into everything he did.
“He always gave it his all,” said Sanchez. “He works very hard. ROTC was his favorite, he loved the discipline, wearing the uniform, being active.”
“I’m very proud, and feeling very nostalgic,” said Bill Mefford of his son, Eli Mefford. “I remember taking him into first grade. In high school he got really serious, he really threw himself into studying. He and his teacher co-founded the history honors society and he got a citizenship award for it.”
Bill Mefford said that’s what he appreciated the most about Wakefield, that the teachers saw the passion of the students and nurtured it. After a trip to Germany with his grandparents, Eli Mefford will be attending Virginia Tech to study agribusiness.
Each of the parents spoke about their child’s senior project, a Wakefield initiative that requires students to go into the community and devote approximately 150 hours of research and field experience in a project, culminating in a 15-25 minute oral presentation.
For Qumari Martin, the project tied back into his family. Qumari’s father is a DJ, and for his senior project, Qumari shadowed his dad at work, was mentored by other experienced DJ’s in the D.C. area, and got special permission to work at weddings and clubs in the area.
“It’s amazing, he’s our last kid to graduate,” said Rochelle Martin, saying that her son is going to work at an internship with an intelligence agency and is working on getting a clearance, with eventual hopes to work in technology. As the students filed past, his parents cheered and Qumari Martin looked over at his mom.
“Who taught you how to use that?” Qumari joked as she snapped pictures of her son.
Just above the Martins, a whole booth of seating was full of family coming out to support Jaleel Stevens. His parents, cousins, aunt and sister all crowded together to try to get a glimpse of him as he entered the hall. Olivia Stevens, his mother, said her son had a good experience at Wakefield High School that prepared him for college at Morgan State, where he will be pursuing business. Olivia Stevens said he was inspired into the career by some of his classes at Wakefield.
Even among the friends who came out to support the graduates, some of the fondest memories centered around hard work. Ana Sofia uro-De Leon and Saleha Hoffman, friends from another class at Wakefield who came out to support a group of their friends who were graduating. Leon said that some days before a history test, all of them would crowd together in the library and cram, studying together as a group.
“It’s going to be hard not to see them every day,” said Leon.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Hoffman. “I’m so proud, but I’m sad to see them go.”