Speaker: Chaney grads possess 'Youngstown advantage'

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By PETER H. MILLIKEN

milliken@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

2016 Chaney Campus Graduation

Gallery

Ambitious college and career plans abound among this year’s Chaney Campus graduates, with a strong emphasis on science, technology and engineering.

Taylor Acierno, co-valedictorian, plans to study biomedical engineering at Youngstown State University, having won first place in science and second place in mathematics in the Judge William Rayen excellence awards.

“It is not enough to simply try to get by in life. That doesn’t move the world forward. We must strive for excellence in every task, no matter how big or small,” she told her classmates at Friday night's commencement ceremony in the school auditorium.

“Although it may not be obvious, every accomplishment we achieve is added to the world’s accomplishments. Our individual success benefits society as a whole, because, as we achieve, we create a better world.”

Her message was consistent with the words prominently inscribed above the Chaney auditorium stage curtain: “Enter to learn: Go forth to serve.”

The other co-valedictorian, LaRazia Diane Tolbert, plans to study criminology and criminal justice at The Ohio State University, having won first place in foreign language and second place in humanities in the Rayen awards.

“We’ve all grown and matured so much. I have not one doubt that we will all leave out of these doors today and make something of ourselves. We will be Youngstown success stories,” Tolbert said.

“You have to see a vision and then go after it. What good is an idea if you don’t do anything with it?” she asked.

“I’ll tell you: nothing.”

The salutatorian, Ali Fawzi Mujahed, plans to pursue pre-medical studies at YSU.

The commencement speaker was U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, who is now serving his seventh term in Congress.

Ryan said the average American lives about 650,000 hours, which amounts to just over 74 years, but has considerable energy to expend within that time.

“God gave us all this juice, and he wants us to do something with it. He wants us to do something really big with it in this really short period of time that we all have,” Ryan said.

The congressman also said it’s important to have some quiet time in one’s life in an age when people are surrounded by the noise of cellphones, radio, TV and conversation.

“You’ve got to take some time every day to just have a little quiet, so that you can feel the juice,” he said.

He also told the graduates they possess “the Youngstown advantage.”

“It’s the grit and the determination and the diversity and the friendships and the culture and the family that we have in this community that has put you on a lunching pad,” he explained.

“The Class of 2016 and Chaney is going to be known as the class of ordinary people who did extraordinary things,” he concluded.

Among the 42 students who graduated Friday in the Chaney Campus auditorium, career interests are extremely diversified.

Their intended programs of study range from pre-medical, pre-veterinary and pre-law to psychology, early-childhood education, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy and medical and clinical laboratory technology.

Others plan to study mechanical, civil and electrical engineering and aeronautics.

Still others have interests in illustration, culinary science, cosmetology, dental hygiene and paralegal studies.

Two plan to join the Air Force, and one plans to join the Army.

The Chaney Campus enrolls students in grades six through 12 in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Visual and Performing Arts programs.

By 2018, the United States will have more than 1.2 million job openings in STEM-related fields, according to Chaney’s website.

The Chaney Campus vision statement says: “We will not rest until we reach academic excellence and graduate 100 percent of our students career and college ready.”

The class motto is: “The past shows us; the future draws us.”