Diamond Akins is a recent graduate of East Saint Louis Senior High School. Like her classmates and others in the Class of 2020, the pandemic meant losing prom and graduation, events that are typical high school senior trademarks.
“It didn’t go how we planned it to go,” Akins said. “Graduation was all we talked about, so I was upset about it. But my teachers are being a great support and help throughout the whole situation.”
Even though Akins was disappointed, she still focused her time on school. Academics and maintaining a strong GPA have always been important throughout high school for her. Even when she returned to school in December with a case of senioritis, like many of her classmates, she stated that “I realized that in order to graduate, I got to keep my academics up.” Akins maintained a 3.5+ GPA all four years of high school.
Akin’s school district shifted to e-learning, and throughout the pandemic, Akins was in contact with her teachers who checked on her regularly. East Saint Louis Senior High School also sent out Chromebooks to students who needed any.
At school, Akins was involved in a dual credit program called AVID. AVID teaches students how to write essays, stay organized, and identify which colleges to attend. Akins was also involved in programs that took students to visit colleges, tutored them throughout the summer to gain credit, and offered SAT and ACT prep.
Her favorite subject in school was math. “I was drawn to the subject because I felt like it was the easiest subject to pick up on,” she said. “I’ve always liked math, since elementary.”
In the fall, Akins will be attending Ranken Technical College for two years and majoring in Information Technology. She hopes to find a job as a cyber technician. When asked why she wanted to pursue cyber technology, she stated, “I felt like everyone was doing all the common majors, so I wanted to try something different. Plus, I like being on computers, so I wanted to do something about it.”
Akins stated that she did want to attend college, but wasn’t able to after she lost her mother in October. “When I had lost my mom, I felt like my life had changed completely because I didn’t know what to do,” Akins said. “I had to grow up fast.”
After October, Akins home life changed entirely. She had to learn how to pay for meals and take care of her family, especially her little brother. She stated, “I have to take care of my little brother and make sure he’s staying on the right track.”
Growing up in East St. Louis has also impacted Akins because she lost her brother due to gun violence. “Growing up in this city, seeing this every day, it makes you feel like you have to move to a different city to be in a better place, because in your own city, people are killing people for no reason or they just feel like they have to prove a point to somebody,” Akins said.
Akins also commented, “It’s been hard, but I’m trying.”
As Akins departs from her high school, she wanted to share advice with her classmates and the rest of the student body. She advises them to gain relationships with their teachers and peers. She added, “Whatever you want to do, stick to it. Don’t give up, no matter how tough the times get.”
