On June 29, CAP staff, alumni, families, and friends celebrated the 35 CAP graduates who completed college this spring. The reception featured an opening poem by Ciera-Jevae, 9th Waver and Poet Laureate for the City of Richmond. In her words, “when I tell you what you’re doing isn’t easy, what I mean is you are history in the flesh.”
The ceremony also featured remarks by CAP alumni Olistide, an 8th Waver who is finishing his MS in Sports Management at St. Mary’s College. In his remarks, Olistide described what it was like to grow up in Richmond and why it’s important to recycle your success. “I don’t want any of the youth underneath me to feel those pains—they get to live in a better Richmond,” he said. “Take the time to replenish yourself, so you can help others…We need you in Richmond, we need you in the Bay Area, we need you to change lives.”
The celebration ended with appreciations, a time for students, parents, and staff to stand up and voice what the CAP program has meant to them. CAP Executive Director Melissa Fries expressed gratitude for all the staff and tutors who have worked with Wave-Makers in the past and the current CAP team. She also appreciated the students and families who have been part of the Making Waves community for over a decade.
Here are some highlights of the accomplishments of our graduates:
- Claudia, 11th Wave, majored in mechanical engineering at Loyola Marymount. She was recently hired as an engineer at General Motors (GM).
- Trevon, 11th Wave, majored in dance at Colorado College. Trevon was recently hired as a Social Studies teacher in Clarksdale, Mississippi through Teach for America.
- Yessenia, 11th Wave, majored in Human Biology at Pitzer College. Yessenia is currently working as a medical scribe and was recently accepted into USF’s Master of Public Health and Behavioral Science program.
- Pedro, 9th Wave, majored in Economics at CSU-Sacramento. Pedro was recently hired to be a Financial Advisor at Edward Jones. He is currently training in St. Louis.
Read more about all 2018 graduates here. Congratulations to this year’s CAP graduates!
