On Tuesday May 2nd, the Upsilon Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., recognized14 Duval County Public School seniors at its annual Dr. Ezekiel W. Bryant High School Scholarship program. The program was held at Florida State College at Jacksonville, North Campus, and honored seniors from 10 different local area high schools. Each of these young men maintained a 3.5 or higher GPA during their senior year, with one young man achieving valedictorian of his graduating class. Under the leadership and organization of member Clarence Wilkerson, Upsilon Lambda Chapter Director of Education, $8,000 dollars in scholarships were divided among the awardees.
A distinguished panel of local professionals delivered words of encouragement and wisdom. Member Marcus Isom, Esq., expressed to the young men the adversity he faced following graduation. “Although I didn’t come from a family of attorneys, I had to make the conscious decision to take advantage of every opportunity.” said Isom. “Get out and meet people, network, and never lose sight of your goal.” City Council President, Councilman At-Large Terrance Freeman, shared his personal journey. “As the son of a minister and a social worker, I’ve always understood the impact of service. Even in my job as an educator, I felt the strong need to serve the community in a greater capacity.” said Councilman Freeman. “I realized that I could be a vessel of change. Don’t be afraid to give of yourselves through public service.”
The High School Recognition program is named in honor of Dr. Ezekiel W. Bryant, the first African American provost/president of a campus in the Florida community college system, and a dearly departed member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Upsilon Lambda Chapter.
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