Today is the Day!

All the work, effort and determination culminates today for a group of students at Simon Youth Clark Pleasant Academy. They will walk across the stage and receive their diploma. These at-risk youth took their challenges, stared them in the face, and said ‘you can’t stop me.’

At Simon Youth Foundation, and its academies across the United States, extensive efforts are made to ignite hope in students. Today more names will be added to the list of successful individuals. Every 29 seconds in this country a student drops out of school, but SYF can proudly say this month that more than 150 youth will earn their diploma at seven of the 23 academies.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said that “Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”

We are humbled to share this moment with brave young people who chose to turn the obstacles in their lives into opportunities for something better. Their character has been tested and they are now stronger because of their perseverance.

Today graduates, with high school diploma in hand, now have the opportunity to continue education at a two or four year institution, and earn as much as $350,000 more in their lifetime. SYF’s work is made possible by the strong support of the mall management team at Greenwood Park Mall and of the Clark-Pleasant Community Schools Corporation.

SYF has a vision for all of the students who enroll at Simon Youth Academies. It is Start here. Go Anywhere. This means that today is not a finish line. It is the start of something better. The work in the classroom has been completed, now the sky is the limit.

If you would like to attend the graduation tonight at 6:00 p.m., media or general public, please contact:

Thomas McAninch
Manager, Communications
317.640.2391
tmcaninch@simon.com

The Simon Youth Clark Pleasant Academy is located at:

129 U.S. Hwy 31, Whiteland, Indiana 46184