Allison Park Photo
Terew and Singh with their graduation caps.
Athena Singh said if it weren’t for her arts-rich education at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School, she wouldn’t be pursuing a career in publishing.
She was sent out on that path Monday afternoon as she and over 150 other Coop seniors walked across the stage of the Shubert Theater to pick up their diplomas at commencement.
“I thought it would never come!” Singh said of the day.
Cooperative High School is a regional magnet a block away from the Shubert on College Street. Students pursue both college preparatory academics and arts major courses including creative writing, dance, music, theater, and visual arts.
Valedictorian Gabrielle Christofor giving her graduation speech.
“Dreams come true” at Coop, Valedictorian Gabrielle Christofor told the gathering.
Seventeen-year-old Roza Terew, for instance, graduated from the theater department with a full-ride scholarship (worth $129,000) to the University of Bridgeport, where she plans to pursue a major and career in nursing.
Christofor said Cooop teachers have a balance of “professionalism and friendship” and “genuinely care” about their students.
Cooperative High School students wait for their names to be called to receive their diplomas.
She closed her address with a thank you to the school for allowing students to “think in critical and creative ways.” “Arts is resistance to darkness,” she concluded. “We … will change the world one artist at a time.”
Cooperative High School invited recent alum Zshekinah Collier as the event’s guest speaker. Collier, a rising junior at American University, is an aspiring journalist and current news editor of The Blackprint, an online culture and news publication at her university.
Guest speaker Zshekinah Collier.
Collier preached the importance of “living your best life,” urging students to treat themselves and acknowledge their self-worth. She told the graduates to “be proud” and “define what success looks like to you.”
The seniors of Cooperative High School will continue to pursue their education at a range of university and conservatories across the state and nation, including University of Connecticut, New York University, Berklee College of Music.
“I love coming to Coop,” raved Singh, who will plans to major in writing, literature, and publishing at Emerson College. Coop, she said, empowered her to use artistic voice to propel her towards a bright future.