AHA 2010 Senior Class Graduates

The Arts and Humanities Academy (AHA) 2010 graduation night was a major success. With touching speeches by teachers, tearful words from students, and a student dance performance, the AHA 2010 graduating class made their mark on Berkeley High School. During the ceremony, every student had their own speech, during which many thanked their family, teachers, friends, and most commonly AHA itself. “I like that the teachers and students are together all four years, it’s like on big family,” commented student A’layah Johnson, a future obstetrician who is attending California State University, Northridge.
“I love AHA in general; I think that it’s an amazing environment. I love what I like to call the ‘communi-tree’, community plus tree,” said senior Carmel Marie Clearwater Dunlap. “AHA helps me appreciate everyone’s uniqueness as an artist. I like that it helps me continue my artistic and academic pursuits.”

It’s been an eventful four years for these smart and creative kids, and they are ready to go off into the world. AHA senior Malcom Moody talked about how it feels to be leaving AHA, “I feel good; it’s been long, it’s been hard, but I feel good about it.”
The AHA graduating class of 2010 is certainly a unique group of students. The teachers seem devastated to see their beloved students leaving them, and at the same time, they are thankful that they can go off, do good things, and make a difference. “They’re all super individual artists in their visions, but they also work well collectively,” said Miriam Stahl, co-founder of AHA.
“When they came in as freshman, one of our beloved founders, denise brown, died, and ever since that happened, this class had a lot of ups and downs, but in the end, came together as a community,” Stahl explained.

“They’re the class full of extremes,” explained Teri Goodman, AHA counselor. “Everything about this class is extreme, it’s extreme excitement, extreme energy, extreme talent, extreme passion, and extreme emotion. There’s no mediocrity in AHA.”

Photos:

• AHA senior Carmel Dunlap speaks at the celebration. (courtesy of Miriam Stalhl)