Class of 2006, Congrats!

Just after the bought of major storms that passed through the area on Thursday and early Friday afternoon, it was refreshing to leave work Friday afternoon to be greeted warmly by the shining sun.

After a quick stop back at my apartment, I headed to my al ma mater to watch my younger brother receive his high school diploma. As I drove up the parking lot was packed but eerily silent. I walked past the football team’s practice field and as I entered the stadium, the memories of not being able to find the Field House and awkward walks down the school hallways flooded my mind.

I looked down the stands to see the stage set up on the 50 yard line smack dab in the middle of the un-manicured football field. I can remember standing on that same sideline 11 years ago on a cold Friday night watching my fellow team mates trying to cover Shaun Alexander (yea, I did play football against him in high school) and me yearning to be told by Coach Turner to go in as cornerback and thinking how much time I was wasting coming to football practice everyday after school and never getting in on Friday night.

Twenty minutes of nostalgia was about all that I could handle. Which was good, because just as I was about to wonder when the show was going to get on the road, when the band fired up and the faculty started enter the field? 30 minutes, 2 boring speeches, and a rousing account of childhood memories by the class' valedictorian I see my brother walk across the stage.

Finally!

Congratulations Wale!


Coincidentally, one of the boys that Wale used to hang out with when he was younger has a sister, Ashley Beasley, whom is the valedictorian at Covington Latin High School's class of 2006. Covington Latin is a private, college preparatory high school administrated by the Diocese of Covington and located in the inner city Covington, KY. It is unique because the average age of an in coming freshman at Latin school is 12yrs old. Latin School’s close proximity to downtown and its excellence in education has led many suburban parents to send their children here to include George Clooney and Dave Justice.

When I attended Latin School during the 1991 academic year, it was all male and I was the only African American student. It great to see that this year, Latin School's valedictorian is female AND African American.

It’s amazing how things change in 15 years.