Leland College Prep celebrates inaugural graduation ceremony

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A new school has at last earned an old tradition. On May 27, the Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men celebrated its first graduating class. The ceremony was held at Kingdom Builders Center and 18 seniors received their diplomas.

The grade 6–12 school was one of two single-sex academies started in 2011 with the enrollment of sixth- and ninth-graders (the other is the Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy). Four years later, those former ninth-graders are now graduating.

Principal Dameion Crook insisted that the entire student body attend the ceremony so that the younger students could bear witness to the monumentality of the moment.

“It’s an incredible day, one that I think we’ll all remember,” said Crook. “The 18 seniors who are graduating have looked forward to this day, as have I and everyone else in our school community.”

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 All of the seniors were excited to graduate, especially since Mickey Leland challenges its students with rigorous academics and Advanced Placement classes. Every member of the senior class plans to attend college in the fall, and the students are rightly proud of this accomplishment.

“We’re honored,” said senior Michael Suber. “We’re setting the standard and getting to pave the way for our brothers.”

Graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2015 will continue through June 7, with most taking place over the weekend of May 29–31. A complete schedule can be found here.