LEAD Celebrates St. Vincent Campus
Our extended family will celebrate and congratulate the LEAD Academy High School Class of 2016 inside the Cameron gymnasium on Thursday, May 19 beginning at 6 p.m.
The ceremony marks the first time a high school graduation will be held inside the historic building on First Avenue South since 1971 and the days of the old Cameron High School, which served African-American students from 1955 to 1971 before desegregation.
The graduation ceremony also marks the end of an era for our LEAD Academy students who attended school inside our original campus at St. Vincent de Paul. The high school moves to Cameron this August.
Last Friday, founder Jeremy Kane joined LEAD dignitaries — including CEO Chris Reynolds and Head of Schools LaVoe Mulgrew — to thank Father Athanasius Abanulo, known in the community as Father A, for the community’s support since the school opened in 2007.
“There are 2,000 kids across Nashville who are getting an education because it started here,” Reynolds said.
The ceremony, held in concert with the annual Junior/Senior Art Show, allowed LEAD to thank our partners at St. Vincent Parish for providing us the space to grow and develop our program and enable us to serve all deserving students across Davidson County.
“I fell in love with everyone here,” Father A said of LEAD Academy’s students and staff. “You have established a very good relationship with us. Keep up every good thing that you have displayed here. We love you and we are proud of you.”
Thank you again to Father A and the good people of St. Vincent’s Parish. We are beyond appreciative of the first home for LEAD Academy, one that is the true foundation and flagship of our extended LEAD Family. For photos and more from the celebration, check out our Facebook page. Thank you to Adam Wray Photography for shooting the event.
