The 18th annual “I WILL GRADUATE Day” event will take place at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York. The yearly event is meant to bring students together for an inspirational party! Household names such as this year’s host Terrance J, along with Shaquille O’Neal, DJ Khaled and more come together side by side with prominent political figures from the power 100 list to engage in a fun, informative and encouraging day for the youth. Founder Tonya Lewis Taylor spoke with us about the event and her goals for the program.
“My whole goal for creating I Will Graduate Day was to celebrate the power of education because what I saw in our communities, disadvantaged communities—I wanted these kids to value the opportunity they have and that’s what I was seeing there was a lack of, that these kids didn’t value education so we created this day as a way to get them inspired about their own life’s journey and how education plays a major role in that journey.”
ParleNY presents the Tonya Lewis Taylor interview…
Italy Ja’rae Lee, 19, is a proud student at New York University, in her second year. She’s majoring in acting and during the week she’s focused on her studies and school work. But on the weekends and in the summer months, she’s lighting up poetry stages and making a name for herself as one of the brightest upcoming spoken word talents in the tri-state area.
This past summer, Italy came in first place in the Parle Endeavors Teen Poetry Slam Series, a New York City wide competition which spans three rounds and features teens from all over the city competing for up to $1,000 in prize money.
ShaaBiggaa and Hiii Siddity met in high school at Brooklyn School for Music and Theater almost 10 years ago and have been best friends since. Calling themselves Girl Codee, they emerged on the scene with their first viral hit “Chaa Chaa Chaa” back in 2022. They’ve been making a name for themselves in Hip-Hop, locally, and nationally, ever since. Unheralded? Maybe. But when their buzz finally catches up to their ability, they will make the world wish they had taken notice a lot earlier.
Here’s Your Chance To Meet Girl Codee…
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