“We need to come together as a community to really celebrate kids and their success,” said Jasmin Shaheed-Young, president and CEO of Rise Indy, a nonprofit that advocates for improved outcomes in public education.
With all the discourse about policies and funding, the team at Rise Indy aimed to bring focus to students by hosting a College Signing Day for more than 100 IPS seniors and awarding $50,000 in scholarships.
Students from several IPS high schools attended the event at Douglass Park on May 2. Participating schools nominated students for $2,500 or $5,000 scholarships.
“Nominees from the schools were deemed as truly deserving, hardworking students who are committed to attending college and would greatly benefit from financial support,” according to a release.
Other students in attendance were entered into a raffle for the chance to win $500 or $1,000 scholarships.
“It’s exciting,” said Chayce Washington, a student at Believe Circle City. “It feels like an accomplishment and a burden has been lifted off my shoulders — especially because my parents have been pouring a lot of money into me my whole life, but especially senior year of high school.”
Washington received a $2,500 scholarship. He plans to study management at IU Bloomington’s school of business in the fall.
Mutombo Mutombo, a senior at Indiana Math and Science Academy, said his $2,500 scholarship was a “great opportunity.”
“I was actually hoping to get something from here because I just have a little part of my tuition that’s not covered yet,” Mutombo said.
Next fall, he will major in computer science at IU Indy where he has already begun taking classes.
With graduation just a few weeks away, IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson acknowledged all the hard work required from each of the seniors to get to this point. She helped announce some of the scholarship winners, along with IPS school board commissioners Ashley Thomas and Deandra Thompson.
According to keynote speaker and IPS alum Robert Jackson, students need four things to be successful in their future: exertion, skill, practice and perseverance. He also gave the students 10 key pieces of advice to help them through college and beyond.
“I’ve never seen an eagle fly with a chicken,” Jackson said, encouraging the seniors to focus on their goals and connect with like-minded peers to stay on a path toward success.
Growing up not too far from Douglass Park where the event took place, Jackson said he was proud of his upbringing and graduating from IPS.
Rise Indy began the scholarship giveaway with IPS schools this year, planning to include the rest of Marion County going forward.
“Today we gave $50,000 in scholarships,” Shaheed-Young said. “Next year we want to give $100,000 in scholarships, to a point that we’re able to give a scholarship to every single kid that’s deciding to go to a two- or four-year college in Indianapolis.”
In addition to the financial support, Rise Indy’s goal with this event was to let students know the power of civic engagement — that their organization cared enough about them to invest in their future and to make all the students feel seen and celebrated.
“It’s important for kids right now to know that the community has their back,” Shaheed-Young said. “For kids who are marginalized, kids that are Black, Latino, low-income kids that have felt like they’ve been unseen, today was the day where we wanted them to feel seen.”
For more information about Rise Indy, visit riseindy.org.
