University of Missouri–St. Louis Bridge Program 36 Annual Award Ceremony Program

Order of Events INTRODUCTION CHANNON PEOPLES DIRECOTR, OFFICE OF PRECOLLEGIATE STUDENT SERVICES, UMSL

MASTER OF CEREMONY CHARLES FARRIS

BRIDGE PROGRAM

SENIOR, RITENOUR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

MISTRESS OF CEREMONY LAUREN SIMPKINS SENIOR, NERINX HALL HIGH SCHOOL

WELCOME KRISTIN SOBOLIK CHANCELLOR, UMSL

36TH ANNUAL AWARD RECOGNITION CEREMONY

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS STEVEN BERBERICH PROVOST AND INTERIM VICE CHANCELLOR FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, UMSL

CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS NATISSIA SMALL VICE PROVOST FOR ACCESS, ACADEMIC SUPPORT, AND WORKFORCE INTEGRATION

BRIDGE PROGRAM CURRICULUM

SATURDAY, MARCH 5 10 AM

SADIE WEISS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF PRECOLLEGIATE STUDENT SERVICES, UMSL

BRIDGE STUDENT RECOGNITION STUDENT KEYNOTE ZAKEE BRANCH SENIOR, LAFAYETTE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

KEYNOTE SPEAKER DARIUS WILLIAMS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LIFE ARTS INC.

SENIOR STUDENT RECOGNITION BRIDGE TEAM: ENGAGE, EMPOWER, EDUCATE CLOSING REMARKS

Student Speakers CHARLES FARRIS Master of Ceremony Senior, Ritenour Senior High School I am very active in my high school and have been on our Varsity Baseball team for four years.

For two years I’ve been a part of both the Student Council Leadership for my class and our school orchestra. After high school, I plan on attending UMSL or Maryville University and majoring in Sports Management. The Bridge Program has helped me tremendously throughout the college process.

Bridge showed me how to select a college that would be the right fit for me and how to research and apply for scholarship opportunities. My biggest takeaway from the Bridge Program is the confidence that I’ve gained from my participation.

Before Bridge, I was completely lost in the

college navigation process and after four years, I am now confident that I am taking the right steps to work towards reaching my future academic and career goals.

LAUREN SIMPKINS Mistress of Ceremony Senior, Nerinx High School It gives me great joy to finish my high school career as a four-year participant and graduate of the UMSL Bridge Program. I serve as President of Nerinx Hall's Diversity Club and Treasurer of the Model UN club. I'm a member of the National Honor Society and the Nerinx Hall Honors Choir.

I hope to attend my top choice school, Washington University in St. Louis, and major in Political Science with a minor in Spanish. I look forward to studying abroad during my time in college as well. The Bridge Program has helped me become a more independent thinker and gain a better understanding of what works best for me in a collegiate environment. Bridge has empowered me to realize that not only was I capable of attending the school of my choice but establishing a plan to get there. Lastly, Bridge has educated me on what it takes to achieve my dream of becoming a lawyer.

ZAKEE BRANCH Student Keynote Speaker Senior, Lafayette Senior High School I am a current senior at Lafayette High School in Wildwood, Missouri. My college plans will include me going to study psychology at The University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon in the Fall of 2022. Besides the never-ending friendships I've made in this program the most important thing is drive and staying engaged. Bridge staff work very hard to prepare you for the steps ahead. All of the teachers I've had during bridge have been phenomenal with the curriculum.

This program isn’t a joke, you are taking classes that will benefit you in life. Bridge shapes you into becoming the person you want to be without Bridge, I probably would not have the opportunities I have right now.

Keynote Speaker DARIUS WILLIAMS Keynote Speaker Executive Director, Life Arts Inc. Darius Williams is a proud newlywed and husband, future father, man of faith, son, brother, friend, mentor, minister, academic, motivational speaker, and poet. Motivated by the lessons of his mother and father, mentors, experiences, and Christian faith, Darius has dedicated his life to the service of others. For this reason, and for all people, his life’s calling is to empower unheard voices to be finally heard and to see unknown dreams to ultimately become known.

Born and raised in Newport News, Virginia, Darius’ deep passion for storytelling and social advocacy has long since compelled him to be a service-oriented leader and active community member. Those passions were refined at Wake Forest University and the University of Notre Dame, where he contributed to poverty policy, advocated for educational inequity, taught middle school literature in inner city Mobile, Alabama, as well as traveled as an ambassador, educator, motivational speaker, and spoken word poetry artist as far as Venice, Italy, and B

ến

Tre, Vietnam.

Today, through his role as Executive Director of Life Arts, his advocacy for educational, therapeutic, and workforce equity continues. His heart for racial, economic, and environmental justice continues to shine as he continues to cultivate and empower the next generation of future-ready leaders for today’s social challenges.

Engage. Empower. Educate.

Participating Students Nicholas Acklin ​

Morgan Davis​

Labraya Hughes​

Ege Alanoglu​

Haley Davis​

Jerl Huling​

Jayla Alexander​

Khaleigh Davis​

Elijah Humphrey​

Sumayyah Ali​

Tayler Dedeaux​

Natalia Hunter​

Shayneisha Allen​

Saskia Dentman​

Za Cariah Isaac​

Tobaoluwalase Ayanwale​

Dhyana Desai​

Shannyn Jackson​

Oluwatomiyin Ayanwale​

Laurie Destin

Rishabh Jain​

Jolaade Bada​

Jestyn Dorsey​

Alfred Jenkins​

Nyah Bailey​

Kabria Dudley​

Alexis Jenkins​

Thomas Banks​

Casey Eaglin​

Xuefei Jia​

Serena Bannish-Tramble​

Kevin East​

Sylvia Johnson​

Daisha Barber​

Khristian East​

Adreana Johnson​

Ne' Miah Barnett​

Jacob-Tyler Easterwood​

Zarai Johnson​

Zoe Barron​

Jamarria Ell​

Menique Johnson​

Michael Barsh Jr. ​

Parker Elliott​

Aubrey Belcher​

Troy Ellison

Kara Johnson​ Sylvester Johnson, III​

Krystina Bell​

Charles Farris​

Kayden Johnston ​

Malek Bell​

Mark Faulkner​

Jaden Jones​

James Bellamy​

Isabelle Fischer​

Aedan Jones​

Nyla Bentley​

Matthew Fischer​

Cameron Jones​

Michaela Berry

Cayden Flagg​

Joy Jones​

Sayuri Bonds​

Kemari Flowers​

Malia Jones​

Dryden Bonner​

Aniya Flowers​

Tyrique Jones-Robinson​

Ismail Botchway​

Love-Cornelia Ford​

Aniyah Jordan​

Asad Boyd​

Elgin Ford​

Jami Jordan​

Madison Boyd​

Joshua Forte​

Sonika Kalwa​

Charles Boyd, II​

Camille Foster​

John Karaka​

Zion Bradsher​

Eva Gacheru​

Ryan Kelly ​

Zakee Branch​

Lewis Gacheru ​

April Kim​

Amir Brown​

Simone Gale​

Kimberly Kimani​

Ryann Brown​

Sydney Gilbert​

Chelsea Kinyua​

Michell Gomez​

Kennedi Kirby​

Amaya Goodwin​

Sha'Mere Lampkin​

Sasha Grant​

Tara Lee​

Sabrina Brown​ Tiara Brown​ Brooke Byas​ Ethan Calvert​ Aaniyah Cannon​ Danae Carey​ Amber Chandler​ Anandra Chaney​ Lashanda Chatman​ Sarah Clay​ Keith Clinton​ Malik Coleman​ Janiya Conner​ Amirah Cotton​ Jaydah Cozart​ Zoe Crawford​ Kaionta Dabney​ Savannah Davis​ Trinity Davis​

Lreonna Gray​

Shilah Lewis​

Sasha Green​

Roari Lopez-Conover​

Robert Green​

Syrai Lovelace​

Erika Greene

ReNaudia Lucas​

Elise Greene​

Tamar Lucas​

Reginald Gully, II​

Nia Lyles​

Trinaity Hall​

Kelan Manning​

Rylee Hall ​

Khristian Manning​

Alexa Hansome​

Malica Marteen​

Jocelyn Hardin​

Jonah Mason​

Brooke Hardy​

Aariel Maynard​

Chaise Harris​

Jazlyn McCloud​

Nathaniel Harris​ Mekel Hinds

Kristian McGee​ Aurelia McGinnist​

Brooklyn Holley​

Takia McMorris​

Logan Horosewski​

Lydia Mcneely

Participating Students Lillian Mcneely​

Jaiden Robinson​

Nicholas Watson ​

Jaylen Miller​

Caiden Roy​

Sean Webb ​

Jacqueline Moore​

Marques Rutlin

Allister Welch ​

Jernika Moore​

Jocelyn Ryan​

Alayna Welch ​

Shontreace Morgan​

Sanjiv Sainathan​

Chelsea West ​ Shannon White ​

Keon Morris​

Maxim Samsonov​

Kenan Morris​

Zaria Sanders​

Caleb White ​

Siraj Mufti ​

Anne Sankale​

Tamara White ​

Armen Muratovic​

Tiny Savay​

Taliyah Wilkes ​

Noah Musgrove ​

Kayla Scales​

Rashaun Williams ​

Wendy Mwaniki​

Priya Shahi​

Trinity Williams ​

Anika Nadikota​

DeVyn Shelton​

Megan Williams ​

Preston Nance​

Toni Shelvin​

Kyla Williams ​

Heaven Nance ​

Kierra Shipp​

Kyle Williams ​

Aydien Noel​

Lauren Simpkins​

Christian Williams ​

Paige Nolte​

Sai Rathan Singirikonda​

Launders Wince ​

Emmanuel Nwaobasi Jr​

Jasmine Sistrunk​

Calvin Wong ​

Abdulmalik Ojibara​

Aubrie Skinner​

Hillary Woodard ​

Mary Olota​

Omisha Skinner​

Keniah Wright ​

Titilayo Osibamiro​

Miracle Sledge​

Ephraim Yangongo ​

Aihemenre Owerei​

Arlen Smart​

Shalom Yee ​

Mariah Paris​

Kendal Smith​

Evan Younge

Jerry Parker​

Kyle Smith​

Annette Parker​

Jaylen Smith​

Isaiah Parker​

Laila Smith​

Seth Patterson

Christopher Smith​

Sydney I. Patterson​

Christianna Solanke​

Shelby Patterson​

Denise Sossou​

Sydney Patterson​

Savion Soto-Hughes​

Jordyn Peebles​

Raqeebah Sowemimo​

Jaden Peete​ Zoraya Piedra​ Larryn Porter​ Rhema Price​ Jasper Prude​ Emerald Prude​ Jacinth Prude​ Rana Qasem​ MacKenzie Raife​ Kevin Raife​ Kylan Rainey Chloe Rainey​ Mariana Ramirez- Villalvazo​ Kenneth Reitzner​ Perry Rhodes​ Drew Richardson​ Drea Richardson​ Matthew Richardson II​ Nyla Robinson​

Sydney Staten​ Anaiia Stewart​ Mekhi Tanksley​ Kayla Taylor​ Adris Thomas​ Ibukunoluwa Thomas​ Stephen Thomas​ Cai Tolliver​ Reem Tomeh​ Kai Tucker​ Ries Van Berkum​ Joshua Viveros​ Donovan Vogler​ Amyra Walker-Whitlock​ Tristan Walls​ Brianna Ward ​ Tristan Warren​ Zeta Washington​ Amorah Washington ​ Aaris Washington​

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