Dear Class of 2018: Remember Who You Are!

By Missy E.

My how time flies. One moment I’m moving back to New York and the next I’m giving high school commencement speeches. It was truly an honor to be invited to speak on behalf of these young women whom I’ve met over the past year and a half. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the faculty, administration and staff at St. Joseph H.S. for the opportunity to share my words with you all.


How The Speech Came Alive

The planning and brainstorming portion of the speech was the first step in the process. I wrote down the key points that I wanted to mention.  What was so fascinating was that it seemed like the universe kept sending me inspirational quotes and speeches as the days passed leading to the ceremony. It was fantastic.

The more I prayed about it, the more the Holy Spirit inspired me.

P.S. My mom came from Texas to attend the ceremony! She was able to document about two minutes of the total 10 minute speech. Thank you mom!

I would also like to send my deepest gratitude to Anchor Liz Faublas at Currents News for her advice. She is a wonderful public speaker. Her advice helped me with the finishing touches of my commencement speech. Fun fact: Liz Faublas was actually the 2017 commencement speaker at the same school, so talk about ladies who lead with a purpose!

Here's a snippet of my speech:

Also - to read the speech in its entirety, be sure to click “Read More” after the jump! Feel free to pass on these words for those special graduates in your life. 

An Ode to Self-Love: Four Key Takeaways on Maintaining Your Awesomeness

By Christina Torres
Guest Blogger

Torres

Mother’s Day is just a few weeks out so I thought what better way than to kick off the spring, or the anticipation of actual spring weather, than with an ode and self-love guide to all the moms and women out there. 

Read her full post by clicking “Read More” below!

The Day Culture Collided With People of Color

A reflection video can hardly contain what it was like to experience a special tour of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture with students from St. Joseph's High School. 

Therefore I invite you to read not only my experience but more importantly, I invite you to read what the students had to say! My column where I let the youth speak their mind is entitled "Let Them Speak" (click here for their story).

Click on the photo for the full story!

Washington’s newest attraction – the National Museum of African American History and Culture – welcomed its millionth visitor in February, not even six months after its official opening. For some of the young women from St. Joseph H.S., Downtown Brooklyn, the museum visit was their first experience outside of New York City and into a cultural exhibition of their African heritage. (Photo: Missy Enaje)

Click 'Read More' below for behind-the-scene photos