For the fourth year, Long Beach Vice Mayor Rex Richardson unveiled the street banners of the 2018 Jordan High School graduates who are attending a community college, 4-year university or entering the U.S. armed forces. This banner program is a continued partnership between Vice Mayor Richardson, LBUSD Board President Megan Kerr and Jordan High School. This is the fourth year of the Jordan Graduate Banner Recognition Program, meaning the class of 2018 is the first class to have seen these banner on display all four years of high school.
“These banners recognize the academic success of North Long Beach graduates and celebrate the importance of a higher education for all students across the City of Long Beach,” said Vice Mayor Richardson. “The students have worked very hard, and I hope that over the last four years, these banners have served as an inspiration during their high school careers to aspire to higher education.”
The street banners will be placed across Atlantic Ave., between South St. and Artesia Blvd., and across Artesia Blvd., between Butler Ave. and Orange St.
“We are proud, once again, to publicly honor and congratulate our Jordan High School scholars on their hard work and dedication with these banners along our corridors,” said LBUSD Board President Megan Kerr. “Our partnership with Vice Mayor Richardson demonstrates how the school district and city can work together to support and empower our young people on their path to success. We look forward to the many ways these students will enrich our community.”
This also marks the second year that through the North Long Beach Education Fund, Vice Mayor Richardson and LBUSD Board President Kerr were able to award six seniors with the “Allen Alevy Student Empowerment Scholarship.” Made possible by a generous donation from Mr. Allen Alevy and family to the Long Beach Education Foundation, this scholarship recognizes Jordan graduates for not just their scholastic achievements, but for their leadership, personal stories, and community involvement.
The six distinguished students to receive these scholarship awards are:
· MaeSean T. Misher - My Brother’s Keeper Award, and attending CSULB
· Brandon M. Minton - Community Leaders Award, and attending CSULB
· Marco F. Zaldana - Community Leaders Award, attending UC Berkeley
· Brianna I. Contreras-Tejeda - Community Leaders Award, and attending UC Santa Barbara
· Destiny T. Clark - Future Entrepreneurs Award, and attending San Francisco State University
· Carlos M. Galvez - Future Entrepreneurs Award, and attending San Francisco State University
“When I was a freshman, I recall feeling a sense of inspiration every time I walked down Artesia Blvd. and Atlantic Ave. with the banners shining above me,” said Marco Zaldana, 2018Jordan graduate and Student Empowerment Scholarship awardee. “Seeing those banners hanging up served as a beacon of hope and motivation towards my future aspirations, and have been empowering in my academic and my personal life.”
In addition, the North Long Beach Education Fund recently awarded classrooms grants to seven LBUSD teachers throughout the 9thDistrict to enhance their programs and learning environments. These deserving teachers are:
· Monique Robertson – A Colin Powell Academy teacher will use funds to assist with the deposit for 3 students to go to Washington D.C. next year during their Spring break to learn more about policy.
· Holly Fisher – A Hamilton Middle School teacher will use funds to fix broken musical instruments in her classroom.
· Pamela Bee – Colin Powell Academy Preschool & Kindergarten teacher will use funds to finish the school garden that was started last summer, but not completed.
· Jacquelyn Gainer – Colin Powell Academy 8th grade teacher will use funds to send students to the Female Leadership Academy (FLA), which helps under privileged but deserving girls attend an empowering one-day program.
· Sherrine Jophryn-Hill – Hamilton Middle School Special Education teacher will use funds for classroom materials and incentives to have while students meet with their intervention specialist.
· Maria J. Hernandez – Hamilton Middle School 7th grade teacher will use funds for incentives of students who are struggling in math to reward them for their hard work and motivate them.
· Jacqueline Hernandez – Starr King Elementary School 3rd grade teacher will use the funds to purchase new books to read aloud to the children to further build their vocabulary and foundational skills.
For more information on the banner program, scholarships or other District 9 initiatives, call (562) 570-6137 or email Shawna Stevens, District 9 Chief of Staff, at shawna.stevens@longbeach.gov.