Tech

Maya Angelou Academy, A Washington DC-Based School For Incarcerated Youth, Celebrates A Group Of High School Graduates

blacknewsdaily7 minutes ago

0 0 1 minute read

It’s never too late for a second chance.

The Washington Post states that a group of incarcerated high school graduates has obtained high school diplomas. This is made possible through the Maya Angelou Academy, which has led a special-education program with the Washington, DC jail since 2021. Courses available to high school students include history, English, science, and statistics. The program also goes beyond high school, offering GED and technical education courses in hospitality, painting, retail sales, plumbing, and other areas.

Additionally, the credit and non-credit courses are taught by educators from local institutions such as Howard University and Georgetown University. Those enrolled will complete seven hours of instruction five days a week, with some students receiving instruction in classrooms, while others remain in their cell blocks.

“Education doesn’t necessarily seem like it would be the priority for residents here, but that’s actually the complete opposite,” Clarisse Mendoza Davis, CEO of See Forever Foundation and Maya Angelou Schools, told the outlet.

On July 30, 13 high school students received their diplomas during Maya Angelou Academy’s fourth annual graduation ceremony. In total, 15 students earned a degree for the month.

“I’m going up,” said graduate Aaron Walker, 21, according to the outlet. “I’m conquering.”

Walker had dropped out of the program but was motivated to continue his studies thanks to the support of the school’s staff. Also sharing his testimony is 24-year-old Tomar McWilliams, who was sentenced to federal prison after spending time in the DC jail. However, his lawyers advocated for him to remain in jail longer to complete his studies. He finished his sentence and was released in June ahead of his graduation.

“This was just a sacrifice I had to take,” McWilliams told the outlet. “I feel like me being incarcerated kind of was a second chance for me, because I knew if I stayed in the streets, I wasn’t going to be going to school.”

This program has reached 282 students, although not all have graduated due to several circumstances, since the jail is a pretrial detention facility. Though McWilliams avoided it, many students may have gone on to other locations before they could graduate.