SEI Class of 2008


This year, 100% of Self Enhancement’s high school seniors are graduating. Leading their class, four SEI students are valedictorians of their 2008 high school classes, members of the National Honors Society, and all around impressive young people.

Danielle Tucker and Taylor Allen are the valedictorians for Grant High School. They have inspired each other as best friends since they were four years old. Both young ladies are members of Grant’s highly competitive Constitution Team, which placed third in the nation, and both have been accepted and earned scholarships to attend historic Spelman College in Atlanta. Danielle has been in SEI since third grade, when she found her home in the Collins Multi-cultural Library, reading and playing Scrabble with Genia Adair. Her leadership includes serving as Treasurer and Vice President of her high school class and being a Peer Mediator. Taylor has grown up in SEI, entering in second grade. She is representing Grant as Rose Princess, served as President of her Junior and Senior classes, won the Senior Leadership Award at Grant, and plans to become a constitutional lawyer.

Grace Muange and Nyesha Sims are Jefferson High School’s valedictorians. Grace is in the SEI Pamplin Leaders Program and winner of the prestigious Bill and Melinda Gates Millenium Scholarship which covers full tuition for both a bachelor’s and a masters degre program. She is also involved in SEI’s partner program ‘Minds Matter’, has been Vice President of her class for two years, and is an active community volunteer with the Red Cross, Planned Parenthood,
the African American Health Coalition, and the Boys Academy at Jefferson. Nyesha has been in Self Enhancement’s core program since 8th grade. Nyesha is also in Pamplin, and is active as a peer mediator, tutor, and assistant with disabled students at Jefferson. She won a full scholarship to Seattle Pacific College and plans to own her own business.


SEI graduating senior Emmanuel ('Manny') Ford is also a remarkable young man. He is an accomplished poet, Mr. SEI at the high school level, led his design team to first place in the Nike shoe design contest, and won a full scholarship to presitigious Morehouse College. Manny overcame many obstacles to get here. Click here to read Manny's moving rap telling the story of his early life.

To go back to SEI's home page, click here.