HLCCTL Celebrates New Graduates in 2024 CAP Graduation
We recently gathered at the Honickman Learning Center Technology Labs’ (HLCCTL) for our annual scholarship ceremony celebrating 2023-24 term’s high school, undergraduate, and graduate students' achievements and significant milestones, one of our favorite events of the year.
“One of the most special parts of the College Access Program (CAP) Graduation and Scholarship Ceremony is that each year, every student has progressed a little further through their journey,” said Liz Bryson, the Teen and CAP manager.
For nearly 20 years HLCCTL has been delivering cutting-edge technology, education, and college readiness classes to the North Philly community. This year we celebrated eight high school graduates, four college graduates, and two graduate students. Thirteen scholarships were awarded to students for their outstanding performances during the school year. Friends, family, staff, and peers came to show their support and cheer on the students; you could feel the audience radiating joy for each student. Liz loves these moments, watching the students bask in the pride of those gathered.
“When I see our students progress, I see all of the love and dedication that has been poured into them, and I see the way they’ve taken that support, overcome obstacles, and worked diligently towards the future they are building for themselves,” Liz said.
One of those students is high school graduate Kimberly Carroll, who delivered remarks during the event. We’ve had the privilege of highlighting Kimberly’s journey at HLCCTL through events like our Digital Arts Music Festival.
Kimberly says she’s learned a lot during her time at HLCCTL and thanks the teachers for helping her find her voice. “First and foremost, they helped me advocate for myself, which I think is very vital in the college space, because it's very different from high school. In the real world, you have to stand up for yourself and know how to speak up for yourself when needed.” Kimberly will be headed to Temple University to pursue a degree in business in fall 2024.
Another high school graduate, Isaiah Brown-Sheaff, has been working with our outreach team and wants to pursue a career as an electrician. “I think it is most important to be well-rounded and do multiple things, instead of just doing one thing,” says Isaiah. “College is great, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like there's many other things for many other people. Not everybody wants to do college.”
Isaish has been coming to the HLCCTL since the seventh grade and admits he’s going to miss making music, learning new skills, and hanging out with staff. “My music teacher, Joe. He's super cool. I enjoy coming here because of the people, especially Miss Liz. She made it great. All the staff here were a big support, and they always helped out.”
Isaiah appreciates the staff supporting his goals to follow a trade and find a path that fits him best. “I think that this program is a testament to what a group of people can do when they believe that all of us are worthy of opportunities and access. All of us deserve to find the path in life that is right for us,” says Liz.
It’s been an honor to watch each student flourish and become young adults who are empowered to follow their dreams and aspirations. Both students say they’re grateful for the opportunity to learn new skills and gain experience for their future endeavors. The pair encourages the community to take advantage of the building’s resources and challenge themselves to learn something new, even if it’s a life lesson.
“You get to meet creative people, open-minded people that don't judge you and there's always good help here,” says Isaiah. Kimberly adds, “I just want to thank all the donors and the people that put their time and money into this wonderful program because it will not go to waste, I promise because this program is truly great.”
