“Be strong, be brave, be fearless” – Micah’s Mission graduates eight

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Eight students graduated from Micah’s Mission at a well-attended ceremony held in the sanctuary of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church on Wednesday night.

Dr. Emily Williams founded Micah’s Mission in 2017 after noticing that many homeschooled children had disabilities or learning challenges that required additional support. She set out to create a program to help them succeed. On Wednesday, eight students graduated.

Loud cheers rang out for each student as their name was called to receive their diploma. The graduates also received a standing ovation and loud cheers from the crowd as they left the room in procession.

The students are:

Torrianna Battle

Joshua Berney

Eddie Carroll, Jr.

Damiah Heard

Alexis Hicks

Azariah Polk

Stafford Truesdell

Wil Wooten

The ceremony included a song by Stafford Truesdell and special recognition of four students with the Nat McMillian STRONG Award. Those four were Wooten, Truesdell, Carroll, and Berney.

The room was buzzing with excitement and jubilation as family and friends celebrated their graduates. “It’s so beautiful,” said Dr. Williams. Asked if she and her educators felt this joy working with the students, Dr. Williams said, “We do, absolutely. On the hard days, these are the days that we remember and we keep pushing through. But the great days are even better than this.”

Micah’s Mission is founded on the principle of God’s teachings through the story of Micah and how we are expected to create social justice through social change. The students are working towards a high school diploma or certificate to prepare them for college or the workforce. Micah’s Mission provides a way for students, with or without disabilities, to learn full circle within a micro-school environment. That means their students learn life skills that will increase their preparedness for the real world after graduation with a faith-based foundation that increases character traits such as integrity, motivation, courage, and much more.

“Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8