Across the SEED Network, June was a month of celebration. Graduates at SEED DC, SEED MD, and the first senior class from SEED Miami marked a major milestone on their paths to college success. SEED graduates donned caps and gowns and were cheered on by their families and their respective SEED communities.
The SEED School of Maryland
SEED Maryland’s 26 seniors graduated at an outdoor ceremony in Baltimore on Saturday, June 5. A limited number of staff and family members joined in person, while the rest cheered graduates on through a livestream of the event.
Local news anchor Nicole Baker delivered the keynote address, which began with quotes from Drake and ended with a call for graduates to keep pursuing their dreams. Tuck Burch, SEED MD’s board chair, remarked on how SEED’s seniors began at SEED the same year that he began his board service. It was an emotional moment, and graduates cheered him on to help him finish his heartfelt speech.
SEED Miami
The 19 members of SEED Miami’s founding class graduated this year after seven years together. Generous SEED Miami partner, The Concours Club—an automotive resort, hosted the ceremony. The creative setup allowed nearly 400 attendees to safely participate by watching and listening to the ceremony from their vehicles while graduates and a small group of SEED leaders and supporters gathered outside.
The featured speaker was Bill Lester, a former electrical engineer and computer scientist who became a trailblazing NASCAR driver. His story is an inspiring one for SEED graduates—proof that there are many roads to success and a reminder to never give up on your dreams. The ceremony concluded with remarks from The SEED Foundation’s CEO, Lesley Poole. Quite appropriately for the venue, spectators honked their horns in celebration at the conclusion of events.
The SEED School of Washington, D.C.
Thirty-six students graduated from SEED DC on Saturday, June 19. Staff, graduates, and a limited number of guests attended a ceremony in SEED DC’s courtyard, and others were able to join via livestream.
Keynote speaker Yusef Salaam, one of the exonerated Central Park Five, delivered an uplifting keynote speech, urging graduates to “become their ancestors’ wildest dreams.” At the end of his remarks, Yusef, who never got the chance to graduate with his peers due to his wrongful incarceration, was presented with an honorary SEED diploma. SEED staff and leadership also delivered remarks, including Brian Rahaman, head of school; Curtis Durham, principal; Desa Sealy, SEED DC board chair; and Lesley Poole, CEO of The SEED Foundation.
To see more of the ceremony, which included speeches, poems, songs, and awards, you can view the recording here.
SEED seniors may be leaving the campuses they’ve called home for the last several years, but they will continue to have the support of the SEED Network. Each graduate will have a college success advisor from The SEED Foundation to help them navigate college life and career planning, to visit them on campus, and to cheer for them at their college graduations.
Thank you to everyone in the SEED community—families, staff, volunteers, and donors, for believing that each child deserves the chance to succeed.