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Chaney Class of 2011 graduation marks a new beginning
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Chaney High School senior Dasia Square practices walking across the stage at Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown. Commencement practice was Wednesday afternoon; today is the real thing for Square and her classmates.
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Chaney High School’s graduating seniors practice the procession into Stambaugh Auditorium, where they will receive their diplomas today.
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
When members of the Chaney High School Class of 2011 walk across the Stambaugh Auditorium stage today to accept their diplomas, it will mark the end of an era.
Next year, Chaney High School will become a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and visual/performing arts school. Students had to interview and/or audition to be accepted.
Though students who are juniors at Chaney this year will be able to remain at the school and graduate, the Class of 2011 will be the last class to move on from the South Hazelwood Avenue building in its traditional high school form.
“It’s kind of sad,” said Josh Beshara, 19, one of the 2011 graduates.
Chaney opened on the city’s West Side in 1953. It was renovated and expanded before the start of the 2007-08 school year.
The change to a VPA/STEM school is part of a plan to restructure the school district amid declining enrollment and poor test scores.
When people talk about the places where they attended high school, their alma mater won’t exist anymore, Beshara said.
Beshara plans to study refrigeration, air conditioning and heating at ETI Technical College after graduation.
Marquise Dent, 18, kind of wishes that the STEM and visual/performing arts were available to him as a high school student. Still, he’s glad to be graduating and moving on with his life and education.
He’ll study computer technology next year at ITT Technical Institute.
Melissa Collins, 19, another member of the Class of 2011, will pursue a degree in early childhood next year at Youngstown State University’s Metro College.
She also has mixed feelings about the change that will happen to the place where she spent four years. Collins is happy to start the next chapter of her life.
“Most of us went to school here the whole time, and it’s just hard to believe that it’s happening,” she said. “It’s kind of sad.”
Shanice Brown, 18, and Eric Scott, 19, also expressed mixed emotions.
“It actually is exciting to be part of the last time there’s a graduation class” from the Chaney in its traditional form, Brown said.
“It’s an honor,” Scott said.
Brown will enter YSU in the fall and plans to become a nutritionist. Scott will study visual communications at ITT.
“It’s great to move on with our lives,” Scott said.