June 3, 2024 • 12 mins
Relive the excitement of your senior year! This episode captures the spirit and determination of our graduates. One senior from each of the high schools joined the podcast sharing their memorable moments and future endeavors, offering advice for future high school students, and sending heartfelt shout-outs to those who helped them along their way. Congratulations to the entire Class of 2024!
Thanks again to the seniors below who were featured in this episode!
Myrin Nixon - Great Bridge High School
Natalie Lawson - Deep Creek High School
Ben Ricks - Western Branch High School
Ashley Bell - Indian River High School
Will Cozart - Hickory High School
Isabelle Michalski - Grassfield High School
Aaliyah Price - Oscar Smith High School
Visit cpschools.com/graduation for our Class of 2024 graduation ceremony resources!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Amplify the Chesapeake Public Schools
podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Chesapeake Schools is located in the Hampton Roads
area of southeastern Virginia.
We serve 40,000 students in 45schools and three centers.
This podcast is designed totell the stories behind our
story and to introduce andcelebrate the people and
programs that make us one of thepremier school districts in
Virginia.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
All right, welcome back Amplifiers.
This is Matt Graham here withRichie Babb, and that's our
listeners.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
They're called Amplifiers thanks to Alyssa May.
Yeah right, she named all ofour fans.
That's our fandom.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Our fandom.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Apparently it's called it's Amplifiers, and
she's the president.
She is she is definitely thepresident.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Number one.
Well, so happy speaking withher in the last episode and
celebrating all of our teachers,and now we are in graduation
season.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Man, I know, right, that's right.
And you just had your daughtergraduate from William Mary,
right?
She did?
Yep, she graduated from WilliamMary.
She wants to go to vet school.
So she's going to take a yearoff to work in a vet office
because you have to have thatexperience to put on your
application and then we'll gofrom there.
That's awesome, man.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yeah, my sister-in-law just graduated
from high school.
Okay, yep Up in New York, she'shappy.
She went to two proms, you knowWow, maybe it's in the family.
I went to three.
It was great.
I loved our senior class and aswe're getting into this episode
, it just makes you think aboutthose times together.
It seems like at the end ofyour high school season, at
least for me, like your classjust sort of comes together
right near the end.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, you really does .
It's interesting, right?
Yeah, I agree, and that's beenthe case.
I mean, I think it was likethat when I was in high school.
You get to the end and it'salmost like some of those friend
groups sort of start todissolve and you end up feeling
like one big class instead ofyeah.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Yeah, yeah.
I don't know if any of ourlisteners felt the same way, but
that's definitely true here.
But we are celebrating ourseniors.
Today, over 3,000 seniors aregraduating from Chesapeake
Public Schools.
Each one has a story, right.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Yeah and well, and you know, we always say, our
goal here is to provide thestories behind our story and
we're fortunate today that weget to meet seven of those
graduates and to hear theirstories.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Right.
We were lucky enough to haveone graduate from each school
come in and they shared some oftheir favorite high school
memories, gave some advice,shared some of their future
plans and endeavors.
So we hope you enjoy it andtake a listen.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
I'm Myron Nixon, senior from Great Bridge High
School and I'm looking forwardto graduating and my future
plans are to wrestle at MorganState University.
One of the best memories I hadwas wrestling for the team,
honestly, at Great Bridgebecause it taught me a lot of
valuable lessons that carriedlike throughout all the high
school, you know, and it helpedme become more disciplined and
(03:04):
more focused in school andeverything.
Another one of my memorablemoments was winning my first
state title.
I mean, my second one was goodtoo, but the special thing about
my first one was I overcamelike a lot of adversity the
previous year leading into thatand then even during the year I
won it, you know I had to beattwo kids that I previously lost
to earlier that year.
(03:24):
So it was just like a big dealfor me to win it because I
worked so hard just to get thatfirst state title and my second
one.
That was very, you know, I wasvery proud of that one because
the way I did it you know I techfault and pinned everybody in
my bracket for my second statetitle.
So that was great for me.
Speaker 5 (03:44):
Hi, I'm Natalie.
I'm graduating from Deep CreekGo Hornets and I will be
attending Virginia Tech as amember of the Corps of Cadets.
I had shown interest my junioryear and then there was this
crazy good scholarship that theycould put me up for, which is
full ride room and board cadetstipend and then you get an
(04:04):
automatic commission as an O-1in the Air Force afterwards.
So they really wanted me to dothat.
They thought that would be agreat idea for me and I wanted
to do aerospace engineering.
So you know, the Air Force isalready a great avenue to do
that and tech being one of thebest engineering schools in the
country, it was just kind of itkind of all fell into place.
(04:27):
Advice I give to freshmen wouldbe just don't start any drama.
Drama really weighs you down indoing a lot of stuff and just
being happy.
It's not going to help you doanything.
And really, if you just do yourwork, a lot of people always
come to me and complain abouthow their grades are so bad and
(04:47):
then they have like 10 missingassignments.
So you just do your work,you're going to pass high school
and you're going to be OK.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
I'm Ben Ricks.
I'm graduating from WesternBranch High School, go Bruins.
After high school I plan to doa little bit of both college and
trade school.
I'm going to ODU for four yearsto get my degree in business
management.
I'm doing that online, soduring the day I'll be doing an
apprenticeship and trade schoolat the same time.
For the trade school it's anelectrician apprenticeship.
(05:18):
I'm their youngest apprentice,so it's a four year program
that's completely paid forbecause I kept up with my grades
and pretty much once I finishthat I'll have my degree and
I'll be able to advance higherand higher into the company and
eventually I'll be able to startmy own company.
My best tennis memory isprobably my best high school
memory.
We were playing at Kellum.
I kind of went in expecting toget crushed and I won the first
(05:45):
set six when I was like, oh okay, then I lost the second set and
I'm down 0-4 in a tiebreak.
I probably hit the best shot ofmy life and I went on to win
eight points in a row to win thematch and that's probably the
best feeling I've ever had in mylife.
I just loved it and that willprobably be my best high school
memory.
A lot of high school was harddoing all the work because I
took the hard way.
I school was hard doing all thework because I took the hard
(06:11):
way.
I wanted to get it done, get abunch of college credits.
Speaker 6 (06:12):
I did it and I'm proud I did it because I'm going
to school for free, so I'mreally happy.
Hello, my name is Ashley Belland I'm graduating from Indian
River High School.
Next year I'm going to ColumbiaCollege, chicago, to major in
musical theater in theirselective BFA program.
Indian River High School'smusic program is absolutely
phenomenal.
My choir teacher, miss Lutzen,has been the most helpful person
(06:37):
that I could have possiblyasked for.
She has stayed after school togive me lessons, to work
privately with me so that I canbe more prepared for when I go
out on my own, and she's taughtme so much, not only about music
, but also about how to talk topeople and how to conduct myself
(06:58):
.
Some advice that I would sayevery freshman needs to take is
don't worry so much about howyou're perceived by others,
because everyone is also asworried about themselves as
you're worried about yourself,and no one's thinking that
you're weird.
Just be you and you'll find theright people.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Well, we're not finished.
We still have three moregraduates you're going to get to
meet.
We hope you're enjoying gettingto meet our seniors and to hear
their stories.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
That's right, and be sure to visit cpschoolscom
forward slash graduation for allof our graduation resources,
including photo galleries, livestreaming and more.
And now let's get back tohearing from our seniors.
Speaker 7 (07:47):
My name is Will Cozart and I'm graduating from
Hickory in June.
I'm in the National HonorSociety, I'm in the
Environmental Club, I am SpanishHonor Society, so I'm in a few
clubs, enjoy them all.
And then also I work on theside as well.
I'm going to be attending ODUin the fall for four years,
maybe three if I can get throughin three and then I plan on
(08:08):
studying biology Haven't decidedon a minor yet, but probably
something health related andthen hopefully med school after
that.
So I started volunteering atNorfolk Centera the hospital.
We have some family friend thathe's a doctor over there and I
really just found like a passionfor it and love for it Pretty
crazy, but it's fun and that'sthat's what I like about it.
(08:29):
About it, you can never tellwhat's going to come through the
door next.
So that's the fun part about it.
Mr Klein, he was my AP Biologyteacher.
He was the first teacher that Iwas really able to actually
connect with.
He uncovered my passion forbiology too, the way he taught
it.
It was a grueling class but hereally pushed me ahead and, you
(08:51):
know, told me to believe inmyself and he was my favorite
teacher that I've had, you knowand it's something I enjoy, so
we share that.
We share that passion forbiology, so that you know that
was easy to get along with aswell.
Speaker 8 (09:02):
Hi, I'm Isabel Mahulski.
I will be graduating fromGrassfield High School this 2024
, and I plan to transfer to UVAwhere I will pursue behavioral
neuroscience on a pre-med track.
Something positive aboutGrassfield is just the community
.
Honestly, the students aregreat, but the teachers are just
(09:26):
amazing.
They're so passionate there andthey really really care about
how their students are doingbeyond grades and beyond
academics, and that's somethingthat I found very comforting.
The teachers there really showthe students that it's more than
just that.
They help give them anexperience that helps them
(09:47):
discover more about themselves,more about life and the things
that they love to do.
And then, one of the mostimportant teachers to me that I
will forever be grateful for sheis kind of like a second mother
to me is Miss Paula Dubik-Myers.
She is the host for the healthmedicine club that my friend and
I founded and she is just.
(10:09):
She's like a guardian angel tome.
She has supported me througheverything.
She believes in me and she'sjust.
She's motivated me in a waythat no one else has and she's
someone that I can really findcomfort in, someone I feel safe
with.
She's always there to provideunwavering support and she gives
the greatest advice and she'sjust so kind and so sweet and so
(10:30):
so passionate and driven aboutwhat she does.
She is a model for how teachersshould be.
I love her so much, so shoutout to Miss Paula Dubik-Myers my
name is Aaliyah Price.
Speaker 9 (10:42):
I am graduating from Oscar Smith High School.
I plan on going to Morgan State, majoring in civil engineering,
to play basketball.
I remember being in the sixthgrade, I believe, and my mom put
me in a STEM program at NorfolkState University and I was like
she, you know, she always askedme well, you know, what do you
want to do?
You have to look for the future.
And I'm like mom, I don't know,it's just the sixth grade, I
don't know.
(11:02):
And when she put me in aprogram, it was like the
robotics and the mathematics andI was like, yeah, I might got
to go down this path, because atfirst I wanted to be a doctor,
until I really seen what youknow doctors really do and all
the blood and stuff, and I waslike, yeah, no, that's not for
me, it's not for me.
I'm going to be more on thetechnical side.
Love my basketball season.
(11:22):
We got a new coach this yearand he really enforced the team
bonding, so getting along withyour teammates outside of
basketball.
So that was pretty great.
My mom and my coaches, thoseare like the two important
people in my life.
They invested in me inside andoutside of school through
basketball through out ofbasketball.
So definitely those two.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
So we hope you enjoyed getting to meet a few of
our seniors and hearing theirstories, and we just want to say
congratulations to all of ourgraduates and we wish them the
best in their lives after highschool.
Welcome to Amplify the Chesapeake Public Schools
podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Chesapeake Schools is located in the Hampton Roads
area of southeastern Virginia.
We serve 40,000 students in 45schools and three centers.
This podcast is designed totell the stories behind our
story and to introduce andcelebrate the people and
programs that make us one of thepremier school districts in
Virginia.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
All right, welcome back Amplifiers.
This is Matt Graham here withRichie Babb, and that's our
listeners.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
They're called Amplifiers thanks to Alyssa May.
Yeah right, she named all ofour fans.
That's our fandom.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Our fandom.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Apparently it's called it's Amplifiers, and
she's the president.
She is she is definitely thepresident.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Number one.
Well, so happy speaking withher in the last episode and
celebrating all of our teachers,and now we are in graduation
season.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Man, I know, right, that's right.
And you just had your daughtergraduate from William Mary,
right?
She did?
Yep, she graduated from WilliamMary.
She wants to go to vet school.
So she's going to take a yearoff to work in a vet office
because you have to have thatexperience to put on your
application and then we'll gofrom there.
That's awesome, man.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yeah, my sister-in-law just graduated
from high school.
Okay, yep Up in New York, she'shappy.
She went to two proms, you knowWow, maybe it's in the family.
I went to three.
It was great.
I loved our senior class and aswe're getting into this episode
, it just makes you think aboutthose times together.
It seems like at the end ofyour high school season, at
least for me, like your classjust sort of comes together
right near the end.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, you really does .
It's interesting, right?
Yeah, I agree, and that's beenthe case.
I mean, I think it was likethat when I was in high school.
You get to the end and it'salmost like some of those friend
groups sort of start todissolve and you end up feeling
like one big class instead ofyeah.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Yeah, yeah.
I don't know if any of ourlisteners felt the same way, but
that's definitely true here.
But we are celebrating ourseniors.
Today, over 3,000 seniors aregraduating from Chesapeake
Public Schools.
Each one has a story, right.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Yeah and well, and you know, we always say, our
goal here is to provide thestories behind our story and
we're fortunate today that weget to meet seven of those
graduates and to hear theirstories.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Right.
We were lucky enough to haveone graduate from each school
come in and they shared some oftheir favorite high school
memories, gave some advice,shared some of their future
plans and endeavors.
So we hope you enjoy it andtake a listen.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
I'm Myron Nixon, senior from Great Bridge High
School and I'm looking forwardto graduating and my future
plans are to wrestle at MorganState University.
One of the best memories I hadwas wrestling for the team,
honestly, at Great Bridgebecause it taught me a lot of
valuable lessons that carriedlike throughout all the high
school, you know, and it helpedme become more disciplined and
(03:04):
more focused in school andeverything.
Another one of my memorablemoments was winning my first
state title.
I mean, my second one was goodtoo, but the special thing about
my first one was I overcamelike a lot of adversity the
previous year leading into thatand then even during the year I
won it, you know I had to beattwo kids that I previously lost
to earlier that year.
(03:24):
So it was just like a big dealfor me to win it because I
worked so hard just to get thatfirst state title and my second
one.
That was very, you know, I wasvery proud of that one because
the way I did it you know I techfault and pinned everybody in
my bracket for my second statetitle.
So that was great for me.
Speaker 5 (03:44):
Hi, I'm Natalie.
I'm graduating from Deep CreekGo Hornets and I will be
attending Virginia Tech as amember of the Corps of Cadets.
I had shown interest my junioryear and then there was this
crazy good scholarship that theycould put me up for, which is
full ride room and board cadetstipend and then you get an
(04:04):
automatic commission as an O-1in the Air Force afterwards.
So they really wanted me to dothat.
They thought that would be agreat idea for me and I wanted
to do aerospace engineering.
So you know, the Air Force isalready a great avenue to do
that and tech being one of thebest engineering schools in the
country, it was just kind of itkind of all fell into place.
(04:27):
Advice I give to freshmen wouldbe just don't start any drama.
Drama really weighs you down indoing a lot of stuff and just
being happy.
It's not going to help you doanything.
And really, if you just do yourwork, a lot of people always
come to me and complain abouthow their grades are so bad and
(04:47):
then they have like 10 missingassignments.
So you just do your work,you're going to pass high school
and you're going to be OK.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
I'm Ben Ricks.
I'm graduating from WesternBranch High School, go Bruins.
After high school I plan to doa little bit of both college and
trade school.
I'm going to ODU for four yearsto get my degree in business
management.
I'm doing that online, soduring the day I'll be doing an
apprenticeship and trade schoolat the same time.
For the trade school it's anelectrician apprenticeship.
(05:18):
I'm their youngest apprentice,so it's a four year program
that's completely paid forbecause I kept up with my grades
and pretty much once I finishthat I'll have my degree and
I'll be able to advance higherand higher into the company and
eventually I'll be able to startmy own company.
My best tennis memory isprobably my best high school
memory.
We were playing at Kellum.
I kind of went in expecting toget crushed and I won the first
(05:45):
set six when I was like, oh okay, then I lost the second set and
I'm down 0-4 in a tiebreak.
I probably hit the best shot ofmy life and I went on to win
eight points in a row to win thematch and that's probably the
best feeling I've ever had in mylife.
I just loved it and that willprobably be my best high school
memory.
A lot of high school was harddoing all the work because I
took the hard way.
I school was hard doing all thework because I took the hard
(06:11):
way.
I wanted to get it done, get abunch of college credits.
Speaker 6 (06:12):
I did it and I'm proud I did it because I'm going
to school for free, so I'mreally happy.
Hello, my name is Ashley Belland I'm graduating from Indian
River High School.
Next year I'm going to ColumbiaCollege, chicago, to major in
musical theater in theirselective BFA program.
Indian River High School'smusic program is absolutely
phenomenal.
My choir teacher, miss Lutzen,has been the most helpful person
(06:37):
that I could have possiblyasked for.
She has stayed after school togive me lessons, to work
privately with me so that I canbe more prepared for when I go
out on my own, and she's taughtme so much, not only about music
, but also about how to talk topeople and how to conduct myself
(06:58):
.
Some advice that I would sayevery freshman needs to take is
don't worry so much about howyou're perceived by others,
because everyone is also asworried about themselves as
you're worried about yourself,and no one's thinking that
you're weird.
Just be you and you'll find theright people.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Well, we're not finished.
We still have three moregraduates you're going to get to
meet.
We hope you're enjoying gettingto meet our seniors and to hear
their stories.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
That's right, and be sure to visit cpschoolscom
forward slash graduation for allof our graduation resources,
including photo galleries, livestreaming and more.
And now let's get back tohearing from our seniors.
Speaker 7 (07:47):
My name is Will Cozart and I'm graduating from
Hickory in June.
I'm in the National HonorSociety, I'm in the
Environmental Club, I am SpanishHonor Society, so I'm in a few
clubs, enjoy them all.
And then also I work on theside as well.
I'm going to be attending ODUin the fall for four years,
maybe three if I can get throughin three and then I plan on
(08:08):
studying biology Haven't decidedon a minor yet, but probably
something health related andthen hopefully med school after
that.
So I started volunteering atNorfolk Centera the hospital.
We have some family friend thathe's a doctor over there and I
really just found like a passionfor it and love for it Pretty
crazy, but it's fun and that'sthat's what I like about it.
(08:29):
About it, you can never tellwhat's going to come through the
door next.
So that's the fun part about it.
Mr Klein, he was my AP Biologyteacher.
He was the first teacher that Iwas really able to actually
connect with.
He uncovered my passion forbiology too, the way he taught
it.
It was a grueling class but hereally pushed me ahead and, you
(08:51):
know, told me to believe inmyself and he was my favorite
teacher that I've had, you knowand it's something I enjoy, so
we share that.
We share that passion forbiology, so that you know that
was easy to get along with aswell.
Speaker 8 (09:02):
Hi, I'm Isabel Mahulski.
I will be graduating fromGrassfield High School this 2024
, and I plan to transfer to UVAwhere I will pursue behavioral
neuroscience on a pre-med track.
Something positive aboutGrassfield is just the community
.
Honestly, the students aregreat, but the teachers are just
(09:26):
amazing.
They're so passionate there andthey really really care about
how their students are doingbeyond grades and beyond
academics, and that's somethingthat I found very comforting.
The teachers there really showthe students that it's more than
just that.
They help give them anexperience that helps them
(09:47):
discover more about themselves,more about life and the things
that they love to do.
And then, one of the mostimportant teachers to me that I
will forever be grateful for sheis kind of like a second mother
to me is Miss Paula Dubik-Myers.
She is the host for the healthmedicine club that my friend and
I founded and she is just.
(10:09):
She's like a guardian angel tome.
She has supported me througheverything.
She believes in me and she'sjust.
She's motivated me in a waythat no one else has and she's
someone that I can really findcomfort in, someone I feel safe
with.
She's always there to provideunwavering support and she gives
the greatest advice and she'sjust so kind and so sweet and so
(10:30):
so passionate and driven aboutwhat she does.
She is a model for how teachersshould be.
I love her so much, so shoutout to Miss Paula Dubik-Myers my
name is Aaliyah Price.
Speaker 9 (10:42):
I am graduating from Oscar Smith High School.
I plan on going to Morgan State, majoring in civil engineering,
to play basketball.
I remember being in the sixthgrade, I believe, and my mom put
me in a STEM program at NorfolkState University and I was like
she, you know, she always askedme well, you know, what do you
want to do?
You have to look for the future.
And I'm like mom, I don't know,it's just the sixth grade, I
don't know.
(11:02):
And when she put me in aprogram, it was like the
robotics and the mathematics andI was like, yeah, I might got
to go down this path, because atfirst I wanted to be a doctor,
until I really seen what youknow doctors really do and all
the blood and stuff, and I waslike, yeah, no, that's not for
me, it's not for me.
I'm going to be more on thetechnical side.
Love my basketball season.
(11:22):
We got a new coach this yearand he really enforced the team
bonding, so getting along withyour teammates outside of
basketball.
So that was pretty great.
My mom and my coaches, thoseare like the two important
people in my life.
They invested in me inside andoutside of school through
basketball through out ofbasketball.
So definitely those two.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
So we hope you enjoyed getting to meet a few of
our seniors and hearing theirstories, and we just want to say
congratulations to all of ourgraduates and we wish them the
best in their lives after highschool.
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