Scholar Spotlight
Pride’s Academic Excellence Award: Giovanni Morrison
Pride’s Academic Excellence Award is presented to the scholar with the best overall academic scores.
Speech:
Good evening – Happy Thursday Night!
My name is Asgeir Ofstad, and I am the Vice Principal at Pride Academy. Tonight, I have the pleasure of presenting one of the most prestigious awards of the evening, the Academic Achievement Award. This award is special this year because the class of 24’ has shown so much potential. In the spring of 24, Pride Academy got the wonderful news of being one of the top 4 schools in NJ comparing growth. Pride outscored the other 1338 schools public schools serving 5th – 8th grade.
One-thousand- three-hundred-and-thirty-eight.
That is extraordinary and impressive, and it would not have been possible without the work of all the teachers and staff in this room. Diving deeper into the data, we also found that the growth was extra high among the graduating class of 24’. What does that mean? That you, dear graduates, each one of you with your own unique talents and interests, have the potential to do remarkable things. You will now move on to High School and what we hope for you is that you will strive to do your best and out-perform and out-score the rest of NJ, yet again. It also means that our Valedictorian becomes the Valedictorian in a cohort that can truly achieve academically, which makes it an even greater achievement. Before addressing this year’s Valedictorian, please let me take this opportunity to address the class of 24’ as a whole:
You can do great things. I am proud of you. I will miss having you at Pride.
I look forward to seeing you again. Remember us when you are famous.
Becoming a valedictorian requires hard work, dedication, and a commitment to academic excellence. At Pride, it means taking challenging courses and earning high grades. This translates to doing well in the classes that are one’s favorite and in the ones where time seems to stand still. It means staying organized, managing time effectively, and seeking help when needed. It means making sacrifices and doing the work right, even if it takes a little longer. It means avoiding distractions and shortcuts. These past years have seen the growth of AI, and with it has come tools to simplify and improve certain aspects of life, but it has also created challenges and temptations. Instead of solving quadratic equations, AI can do that for you. Instead of expanding on your thoughts in an Essay, AI creates your voice for you. AI is used in search engines, in ads, and in image manipulation. It is tempting to become complacent and to rely on something else to think for you. Our Valedictorian, however, is the model of hard work, reading not just for pleasure but just as a matter of principle and for being uniquely themselves. And the world needs you to continue to do so. Continue to apply yourself, to do your best, and continue to make the world a better place.
I want to share with you all, both our Valedictorian and the greater Pride community, a poem on this topic The poem is called Only You.
Only You – By Dan Coppersmith
No one on Earth – Exists quite like you
And no one is able – To do what you do
The person you are -The talents you bear
Gifts that only – You can share
Only you have learned – From the things you’ve done
Gaining perspective – From the battles you’ve won
Times when you’ve lost – Have been priceless too
The lessons contribute – To what makes you you
The rest of the world – Can’t see through your eyes
Which is why your insight – Is such a prize
Because you are you – There are lives you affect
Much more than you – Would ever expect
The things you do – The things you say
Send ripples throughout – The Milky Way
You’re unique and amazing – Like no one else
You have the exclusive – On being yourself.
You and the rest of your 2024 graduating peers are the world’s future. You will be doctors, teachers, nurses, lawyers, carpenters, electricians, influencers, sports stars, or superheroes. We need your best.
Without further adieu, the Pride family is very proud of you and looks forward to following your future successes.
This year’s Valedictorian is Giovanni Morrison
The Pride Scholar Award: Sydney Brown
The Pride Scholar Award is given to the scholar that most personifies the Pride Academy’s core values of Peace, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Empathy.
Speech:
Good evening, Pride Families, Teachers, Staff, Distinguished guests, and the class of 2024! It has truly been a joy to teach this class and be a part of their journey at Pride Academy. They have touched our lives in many ways and their legacy will forever live on in our hearts and minds.
I have the honor of presenting one of our prestigious awards- The Pride Scholar Award. This award recognizes the efforts and talent of a scholar who upholds our core values consistently, works hard to achieve their goals, embodies our school mission, and has an active presence in our school community.
One of the most rewarding roles we wear during our lifetime is rooted in service to others. Joe Polish, author of the book, What’s In It For Them, said, “The important thing to remember is that you’ll need to connect with other people to make big things happen – and understanding what they want from life and how they want to be treated is crucial to that.”
Tonight, we gather to celebrate not just the culmination of an academic journey, but the embodiment of values that have shaped this scholar into who she is today. The Pride Scholar Award is an accolade that reflects not only academic achievement but also a commitment to core values that define our school community.
For this scholar, success is about making life better for other people. Throughout her time at Pride, she has strived to embody this principle through her involvement in the National Junior Honors Society, the SOCA Club, Social Committee and by always showing school spirit in the most creative and authentic way. These experiences have taught her the importance of empathy and determination in making a positive impact on those around her.
For this scholar, the core values of peace, respect, integrity, determination, and empathy have served as a compass and guided her journey during her tenure with us. These values are not just words on paper but pillars upon which she built her aspirations. From being a quiet leader to aspiring to enter the medical field, she has learned that true success lies in service to others and in remaining steadfast in the face of challenges.
When asked the question: How would you describe your time at Pride? What has it meant to you? This was her response:
“Pride for me has been an extremely supportive, safe haven. Although it was a safe haven, it also exposed me to and prepared me for the real world. Being a Pride Scholar is living up to all of the core values and doing the right thing. Taking on challenges that help you achieve your goals is also what a Pride Scholar does. When I graduate from high school, I want to focus on all the certifications I need to become an anesthesiologist. The teachers at Pride care so much which has helped me through all my years here. Everyone at Pride has expanded my support system and set me up for greatness. Most of the students here have been with me for 5-9 years and I realize that Pride was the foundation that prepared us to go on our own paths.”
I began my speech with a quote from that book because it encapsulates our honoree. She strives for excellence in all that she does and all the while, reflecting grace and compassion for others. She wants to always be better because it means that her community and the world at large will be better.
May her legacy continue to inspire her peers to come, and remind us of the power of education, perseverance, and the immeasurable impact we can have on the world when we choose to be of service to others. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Success must include two things: the development of an individual to her utmost potentiality and a contribution of some kind to one’s world.” Thank you for being a beacon of light and hope for our world, and seeking to always make the right choice. In a time of selfies, you have paused to ask, “what’s in it for them”, and carry out acts of service that make it better for those around you. Tonight, we honor Sydney Brown as our Pride Scholar recipient.
The Founders Award: Qasim Togun
The Founders Award which we are about to present goes to the scholar that has demonstrated the greatest level of growth and change throughout their time here at Pride Academy Charter School.
Speech:
Sixteen years ago, Jodi Wilson, Rose Mary Dumenigo, Amanda Quinn, and Fiona Thomas, with the hard work and support of Sue Becker and Robin Brower, set out to create a school that would one day transform lives. As we worked many long hours to create the plans, systems, budgets, and policies that would one day guide Pride Academy, we also dreamed of the types of students that we wanted to teach and reach in a special way. Believe it or not, YOU ARE EXACTLY WHO HOPED FOR AND WANTED at Pride Academy. Our goal was always to help children to realize their true potential and inspire growth and change. Each one of you has made our dream a reality in big ways and in small ways and for this we are truly grateful.
The Founders Award which we are about to present goes to the student who has demonstrated the greatest level of growth and change throughout their time here at Pride Academy Charter School.
It has been said that “when a child stops making excuses and takes responsibility for their choices, that is when they become an adult.” This year, we were all blessed to see that happen right before our eyes.
Although I don’t know exactly WHEN the turning point happened for this scholar, I can tell you WHY it happened. It happened because they wanted to be better and knew that being better would mean listening to people who they knew cared about them and wanted the best for them.
Recently, I had a conversation with this scholar and they shared that although they were excited about graduating, they were really going to miss Pride Academy because they knew that the teachers in their next school would probably not care about them the way their Pride teachers have.
Although the teachers and staff of Pride Academy are truly amazing and caring and we are certainly proud to have impacted you in such a positive way, we need you to know that your transformation was ALL YOU!
You are the one who decided to stop making excuses and start being the person that your teachers knew you could be. You are the one who kept your cool and responded positively when you were corrected, you did your work instead of being distracted by friends, you avoided negative situations and you encouraged your friends to do the same. You persevered and committed to being your best self day in and day out. This transformation was ALL YOU, and you need to own that, be proud of it, and carry that Pride with you as you continue your journey through high school and beyond.
Several teachers nominated this scholar, including Ms. Charussilapa who said the following. “This scholar began their journey at Pride by getting in trouble, not doing work, and not always responding positively and respectfully to teachers and staff who corrected their behavior.” She went on to say, “Not only have they made a complete turnaround and been a model scholar, but they have also been a leader for their friend group and continue to be a good example and treat others with respect.
This scholar has absolutely made better choices for themselves and their education. Not only did they almost always make their Weekly Pride Scholar points, they also improved their grades dramatically and even achieved honor roll in the first trimester.
There is a quote that says, “People grow when they are loved well.” To this scholar, based on how much you have grown academically and emotionally, as well as in your ability to accept responsibility and make better choices for yourself, I can tell you that you have definitely been loved well… by your family, friends, and by all the teachers and staff at Pride. Never forget how much we love you and how proud we are of the young man that you have become.
For these reasons and many more, we are very proud to award the 2024 Pride Academy Founders Award to Qasim Togun.