Ready to ‘carry that fire’: Flint Schools class of 2023 graduates receive their diplomas

Flint, MI—On Tuesday, June 6, 2023, graduates of Flint Schools’ Southwestern Classical Academy and Accelerated Learning Academy (ALA) walked down the aisles of Whiting Auditorium as friends and family cheered them on.

It was a momentous day for students receiving their diplomas—one of celebrations, farewells and new beginnings—which Flint Community Schools (FCS) Superintendent Kevelin Jones acknowledged in his remarks. 

“As I stand here today looking out at this awesome group of young people, I am reminded of the countless victories, the resilience you have shown and the unwavering spirit that has brought you to this very stage today,” Jones said, before offering words of advice to the assembled graduates. 

“Face the world with boldness and determination,” he said. “Let your voices be heard, your passions guide you and your dreams inspire you to make a difference.” 

Among the 77 graduates from ALA and Southwestern was Sincere Parnell, an ALA graduate.

“It’s a start to a new life,” he said of his graduation.

Parnell will be studying at Mott Community College’s Culinary Arts Institute in pursuit of his dream to one day open his own restaurant.

He told Flint Beat he plans to be a great chef and dedicate his restaurant to his mom’s recipe book.

“My mama can cook like anything,” Parnell said. “I’ve been in the kitchen with my mama since I was like four … I’d really say her speciality’s like chicken alfredo, steak alfredo, mac and cheese, and soul food.”

ALA principal Kelly Fields said it was a blessing to see her students graduate.

She commended the group for their “tenacity” in pulling through the COVID-19 pandemic, their own personal challenges and navigating ALA’s alternative education model. 

“It’s been an extraordinary gift to watch all of them finish. It really, really has been,” Fields said. “Every kid at Accelerated Learning has a story.” 

Shaniya Walker-Howell, an ALA graduate, hopes to be an entrepreneur. She’ll be moving on to study business at Ferris State University. 

“It’ll be a crazy experience because I’m not used to being away from my family that much, so real crazy, real scary experience. But at the same time, it’s gonna be a fun and eventful experience for me,” she said, adding it’s comforting to know that her sister, a graduate student at Ferris State, will be there to help her with the transition. 

“It’s a once in a lifetime experience for me,” she said of walking the stage to receive her diploma. “I went through a whole lot of struggles and stuff just to get to this point.” 

She said she’s thankful for the ALA and Southwestern community for supporting her. She transferred from Southwestern to ALA earlier this year as she fell behind on school after her father’s death. He had been her best friend and an influential figure in her life, she noted. 

“He was there for me through everything,” Walker-Howell said. “I really just gave up on a lot of stuff and then it just hit me like I gotta keep going, like I gotta make him proud. I gotta make the rest of my family proud. I can’t just give up on myself and I decided to just keep going, and I made it out.” 

As for Parnell, the graduate transferred to ALA to complete his junior and senior years. The support he’s received there has gone a long way with helping him complete his classes for graduation, he explained. 

“All the teachers are nice. The principal cool. I had to go over there from Southwestern because I was slacking … In COVID, a lot of students didn’t really do much, and I was one of them, sad to say, but it happens,” Parnell said. 

His mother Anatasya Parnell said her son had grown a lot over the years, and she’s gratified to see him receive his diploma and overcome his challenges along the way. 

“It’s very heartwarming to see him walk across this stage, especially with all the predicaments and switching schools,” she said. 

Beyond graduating, her son added, playing for Southwestern’s football and basketball teams were among the highlights of his time in Flint Schools. Sports were in many ways a sanctuary for him. 

“Basketball is my good place to get away from all the bad stuff, away from the trauma and all the problems at home,” he said.

Southwestern graduate and valedictorian Samuel Lynch encouraged his peers to carry with them their perspectives as students of Flint, a city that people hold presumptions about. 

“Some of the things they may think about are the water crisis, how dangerous it is and how poor it is,” Lynch said during the graduation ceremony. “While some of these characteristics are true—there was a water crisis and there is poverty—there are also many good aspects to Flint, such as the diversity and education.”

Flint is a place that has much to offer, Lynch continued, sharing a poem by Christina Rossetti.

An emerald is as green as grass,
A ruby red as blood;
A sapphire shines as blue as heaven;
A flint lies in the mud.

A diamond is a brilliant stone,
To catch the world’s desire;
An opal holds a fiery spark;
But a flint holds fire.

– Flint by Christina Rossetti

The valedictorian said that even though the flint may lie in the mud and be ignored, the city of Flint’s “fire has helped shape me and everyone here. As we step forward into the next stage of our lives, we must carry that fire with us.”