At a reception held at 1:30 this afternoon the Authority congratulated four high school seniors from our public housing communities who were part of the 2014 graduating class of Virginia High School. Chelsea Butler, Karolyn Bynum, Consuelo Franklin and Anne Nyambura Ndegwa were honored, each receiving a gift to celebrate this milestone. “This is both an ending and a beginning,” said Dave Baldwin, Executive Director. “It represents one of the most significant achievements in your young lives, and it marks the opening of your entrance into adulthood…it’s proper for us to be here today to acknowledge this accomplishment and this transition.” Mark Lineberg, Superintendent of Schools, told the young ladies that “it’s not how much knowledge you have, but the intangibles in life that matter most, like good manners, hard work and perseverance.” He made a special note of the beautiful poetry written by Ms. Nyambura Ndegwa, who won the 2014 Superintendent’s Scholarship and the Virginia High School PTA Scholarship. Catherine Brillhart, Vice Mayor of Bristol, Virginia, and liaison between City Council and the BRHA Board of Commissioners, brought greetings and congratulations from the City of Bristol and City Council.
Three of the young ladies will be going on to college and will be studying areas ranging from business marketing to nursing and fashion design. “BRHA is proud of these young ladies and what they have accomplished,” said Scott Otis, Chairman of the BRHA Board of Commissioners.