Young ladies introduced among the ranks of scholars
by Jazzmine Otey
Nearly 350 residents from throughout the Roanoke Valley gathered Friday, Aug. 5 at Holiday Inn Tangelwood for the 4th Annual “Donning of the Blazer” Banquet to celebrate the many accomplishments of the Renaissance Academy. This year’s event went over the top with the incorporation and introduction of the scholarly young ladies of what’s known as Elle Academy.
After a warm welcome from organization founder and executive director Jerel Rhodes, an incredibly inspiring prayer was delivered by Rev. Kathy O’Keefe, pastor Kingdom Life Ministries, over the youth, requesting they be “provided with guidance and ambition to be change makers in this world.”
“Tonight we wanna celebrate pushing our youth forward-what I want these young people to realize is that if they push themselves forward they can be mayor, vice-mayor, delegate, senator, and even president,” Sherman lee exclaimed after coming forth to greet the many attendees. The prodigiously proud mayor expressed his overall gratitude for the impact Jerel Rhodes has made on the community. Mayor Lea continued to express his excitement for the succession and productivity of young people despite the negativity that has been occurring throughout the world today in regards to our youth.
RA alumni Blake Barnes spoke of the large influence Jerel and the organization have had on his life. Due to the founder’s constant dedication and efforts to expose youth to positive aspects such as college trips, guest speakers and events prompting academic, social and financial skills, Barnes is now a sophomore of Old Dominion University (ODU).
Grateful for Mr. Rhodes leadership, Blake said that through Jerel and the academy, adolescent African American males still have hope despite society’s fixation on stereotypes.
“A lot of times in life we don’t know that we possess diamond like talents that can change the world,” encouraged keynote speaker Sherman Lea Jr . Through a very motivational speech, he emphasized the profound importance of not only recognizing your talents but, also the importance of steering from distractions on your road to success.
“You have to maximize your downtime,” he pointed out, again adding emphasis on the idea of time being a crucial and valuable asset when wanting to succeed.
The celebration continued with a video that featured boys and girls of various ages who stated their names, their chosen career and college they plan to attend. The film captured both the serious side and the fun side of RA/EA as boys and girls danced across the screen alongside their mentors in later scenes. It also revealed how the RA/EA molds young boys and girls to be productive adults and leaders by allowing them to express themselves and learn about not only who they are but the person they want to be.
It was a night of countless awards that recognized the academy’s participants for their achievements. The first recipients were the younger girls of EA who received a blazer, set of pearls and bouquet of flowers, all of which symbolized their official initiation. The younger boys of the RA followed, taking part in a more masculine process however, as they too received their blazers.
Additionally 10,000 worth of scholarships were rewarded to promising as well as dedicated members of both groups, exceeding last year’s award of 3,000 dollars. Members were also honored for academic success including A and A/B honor roll and perfect scores on the Virginia SOL.
Nonetheless, RA and EA members weren’t the only ones who received awards. Mayor Sherman Lea Sr. and Vice Mayor Anita Price made sure to commend the tenacity and overall dedication of the academy leaders and mentors by rewarding them with service medallions. Several received the city’s golden star engraved with the passage, “You are a Star in the Star City.”
In an effort to give the recipients something special as added incentive, Rhodes presented each member with a share of Nike stock–launching them as “investers” in the truest since.
Ultimately, the 4th Annual RA/EA banquet was a success as citizens throughout the Roanoke Valley came together in support of the young scholars and leaders of tomorrow as positive proof of high academic achievement in the community.
