David White graduated Saturday from an Easter Seals program that steers ex-offenders to productive jobs. Chip Croft, who runs SEA-TV, which in turn runs the program with Easter Seals, sent in these photos and this write-up.
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The school season may be starting but there was a significant graduation this past Saturday. SEA~TV, the New Haven based video production company, held a graduation for David White, one of their interns, at the new Sweet Jamaica Restaurant on Davenport Avenue.
What made this graduation important is that David was placed at SEA~TV by a partnership with the Easter Seals Goodwill Industries Community Re-Entry Services program. David was part of their youth services program that helps ex-offenders successfully re-enter the community by providing them employment support from job seeking skills to employment development skills.
At SEA~TV, David was able to work on real-world documentary projects such as “Don’t Met Me Die,” about the murders of Jajuana Cole and Justus Suggs; and “High Seas Schooner,” about a rough voyage in the Atlantic aboard the schooner, Harvey Gamage. David created music for both productions, shot interviews and background footage and worked on computer graphics and rough editing.
Rich Borer, President of Easter Seals Goodwill Industries, spoke at the event. In honoring David he said, “This is about young people in our community making the right choices. We at Easter Seals Goodwill Industries like to create opportunities for young people like David to make these types of decisions. That’s why I thought it was important to be [here] today to say congratulations to you. Anything is possible. You have vision, you have a dream and you’ve work toward that dream.”
Chip Croft, president of SEA~TV complimented David on being a self-starter. Croft has been extremely busy on several projects recently and he praised David for not requiring a lot of supervision and finding work to do while Croft was on the run.
Anneka Banton (pictured) works at ESGI; she was once an intern for SEA~TV and has won several film awards. Anneka said she can see David winning awards, too. She also said, “You’ve come a long way. I can see you walking in my shoes… and going places.” Anneka also thanked other ESGI staff who helped David — Rona Scott, Audrey Lloyd, Deborah Methot, Rachel Tibbs and Joe Parente.
In accepting the certificate of completion and an outstanding intern award, David said that, “Hopefully I can help somebody out the same way you have helped me out.”