Zarandae Jenkins, 18, will graduate from Carver STEAM High School on May 22, and he says it is by far his greatest accomplishment.
Growing up in a single parent household, Zarandae couldn’t be a regular kid. He had responsibilities and found himself involved with the wrong crowds, where violence and drugs were abundant.
He thought high school was a joke and got kicked out of school, resulting in him temporarily going to alternative school. However, he says his grades were never poor. It was behavioral issues that held him back from being successful.
This all changed when Zarandae had his baby girl London, who is now 8 months old. He quickly realized that he had to become an example for his daughter.
“There is no other way around it,” he said. “If I don’t do this, how can I even begin to help her?”
He went from being unsure about graduating to being cleared to walk the stage to receive his diploma.
Upon graduation, Zarandae plans to attend trade school for information technology.
He leaves these thoughtful words with students who may be facing similar challenges and feel like giving up: “Keep going no matter what. It is not as hard as people will make it seem. It will be easier if that’s where you put your effort.”
| College/University: | Undeclared |
| Intended Major: | Information Technology |
| Career Goal: | Information Technology |
Atlanta Public Schools will host high school commencement exercises Saturday, May 18 – Friday, May 24, 2019. All ceremonies — except Atlanta Classical Academy and Charles R. Drew Charter School — will be held at Georgia Institute of Technology, McCamish Pavilion,965 Fowler Street, NW, Atlanta, GA 30318. For more information on commencement exercises, go to http://www.atlantapublicschools.us/gradnation.
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