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