By Amanda Moses
Gateway Intermediate School (IS) 364 students, like those around the world, had numerous obstacles to overcome within the past three years. For the six graders arriving in 2019 with bright hopes and aspirations for their future, this experience was cut short just after six months of in-person learning. First, they quarantined and in doing so learned how to attend class remotely, which was followed by blended learning. Then there was a brief switch back to remote once more, and for their final year the teens experienced normalcy with in-person classes—a new masked, frequently tested, and vaccinated version of it.
Despite the hardships they faced, Principal Nicole Edmund Fraser shared her pride as she watched her students soar to new heights.
“My falcons looking back, I remember all of my baby falcons and can hardly recognize the young men and women you have become. Remember the times that have made you who you are. Remember the people that have helped you to get to this moment. Remember both the good times and the bad because those memories hold lessons. You’ll need to reflect on what has made you resilient as we face what our new norms are. Revive our new world, one that has survived a global pandemic but still continues every day to face the challenges of social justice. Your resiliency is a testament to the enduring quality of the Falcons community,” Fraser said.
Resiliency is an attribute salutatorian Zikiea Lassiter knows all too well. She faced many difficulties in her childhood, but with the help of her grandmother and aunt who helped raise her, Lassiter learned to keep working hard. She received four awards and a special recognition from IS 364.
“I’m proud of her for overcoming every adversity that she’s ever experienced in life. She is a definition of a child that works hard in spite of whatever she’s had experienced,” Shirley Lassiter, her aunt, said.
Robin Lassiter started raising Zikiea when she was only four years old, adding that the little girl didn’t even know how to tie her shoes at the time. Now, Lassiter has earned several awards and a stellar GPA.
“I am so proud of her. I raised her,” Robin Lassiter added, smiling.
Valedictorian Harley Severe also shared her story with her fellow graduates. Severe immigrated from Haiti when she was a little girl and had to learn a new language and culture; however, her steadfast determination earned her numerous awards, including the ability to meet Mayor Eric Adams upon receiving the 2022 Association of Assistant Principals’ Martin Safran Award and Scholarship for Service and Leadership.
Photos by Amanda Moses
