Mount Vernon STEAM Academy Graduates Of '23 Off To Build The Future

MOUNT VERNON, NY — One of the Hudson Valley's most unique schools bid a fond farewell to the graduating class of 2023, but with the school's track record of preparing students to help change the world, it's a safe bet we'll be hearing from these remarkable graduates again soon.

From the City of Mount Vernon School District:

On Thursday, June 22, 2023, 127 students graduated from the Mount Vernon STEAM Academy. The graduation ceremony took place at the Denzel Washington School of the Arts Phylicia Rashad Auditorium. Devita Mohandeo, an alumna of Thornton High School, delivered the keynote address.

Class President Zaire Eddings said that it was in summer school where he realized the importance of seizing opportunities in his education.

"Summer school was a humbling experience, a reminder that we will find ourselves at our lowest point," Eddings said. "The only way forward is upward. In these moments we discover resilience and the ability to push beyond our limitations."

Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard showered the graduates with words of encouragement and advice following the performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," by graduating senior Rhayanne Brown.

"Today we celebrate a significant milestone and the culmination of your years of hard work, dedication and perseverance," Patterson-Howard said. "Today we recognize your achievements and mark the beginning of your journey into a vital world armed with the knowledge and skills that you have acquired at the Mount Vernon STEAM Academy."

Salutatorian Tran Chau delivered her address, expressing hope for all the graduates’ futures and vowing to come back to STEAM.

"There will be no final chapter because we will continue to write this book as we go through our journeys after high school," Tran said. "I cannot wait to continue this book with my teachers, who will be my colleagues when I return to STEAM as a math teacher in the next four years. To the graduating class, I would like to leave you with this famous proverb 'Có công mài sắt có ngày nên kim.' 'If you grind an iron enough, it will one day become a needle.' This means that hard work will produce opportunities."

"While we may be ending an era, we are beginning another,” Valedictorian Daniella Costa Dos Santos said. "Up until this point in our lives, we have been preparing for the next steps we are about to take. Whether those steps are attending college, trade school, the armed forces, or going straight to work, we are more than ready for the life that awaits us. As you leave here today, take all the memories we have made, the moments we have shared, and the obstacles we have overcome, as they prove that through the good and the bad, we are still left standing."

Mohandeo, who recently received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law, delivered the keynote speech. She urged the graduates to follow their passions in the next stages of their lives.

"Make sure that wherever you end up, that’s where you want to be," Mohandeo said. "Though we don’t have control over external forces and everything that is going on around us, we have the ability to act and react. So as you go through these next chapters take your time and be honest with yourself about what your wants and needs are. Take care of yourself and be confident that your support system and Mount Vernon has given you the tools to walk through life."

Principal Lillian Serrett-Morales greeted the graduating class, their families, and the proud educators in the crowd.

"As you enter a new pathway in life, always remember to fight for what you believe in and for what you are passionate about,” Serret-Morales said. "Have fun, but good fun – remember that getting an education is a priority. And know that you will always have the support of your MV STEAM family, no matter where you go."

Acting Superintendent K. Veronica Smith congratulated the graduates and urged them to continue on their promising path.

"Throughout life, you will face challenges, some setbacks, and many triumphs,” Smith said. "But you need to be proud of who you are to ultimately succeed. Remember, you are able to achieve whatever you want in life, you just have to work hard to get there."

"The Mount Vernon Board of Education will be rooting for you as you continue your journey," Board of Education President Adriane Saunders said.