Michael Brown’s teachers and former classmates have come forward to share their fond memories of the student and his journey to achieve higher education.
A report by The Washington Post revealed that Brown, who was shot and killed by a Ferguson, Missouri police officer last week, finished high school one week before he died and had big plans for the next chapter in his life.
Michael Brown officially graduated Aug. 1, later than some and months after the photo was taken. He still had credits to earn then. He was in an alternative learning program, a way to help the students facing the longest academic odds.
But he got his diploma. And 10 days after that, he was to start at a local technical school to learn how to fix furnaces and air conditioners.
His teacher John Kennedy says that the 18-year-old was persistent about achieving his diploma. He was often the first student to show up to class and gave his all to complete his credits.
“He’d accomplished it,” teacher John Kennedy said. “In the last two months, man, Mike was there every doggone day and he was giving it his full effort.
At the school’s alternative program, Kennedy was always the first one in the building. The place would be empty. He’d unlock the doors at 7 a.m. and he’d always find Brown standing there, smiling. Classes didn’t start until 8 a.m. But Brown was there. First one in the door.
“It’s a disappointment,” Kennedy said. “There’s a lot to be disheartened about.”
While news of unrest and protest continue to circle in the town of Ferguson, Brown’s friends are keeping his memory alive.
Hershel Johnson, who knew Michael since middle school, told the St Louis Post-Dispatch: ‘We were at graduation, me and him, and we were talking. He said he wasn’t going to end up like some people on the streets. He was going to get an education. He was going to make his life a whole a lot better.’
Unfortunately, we’ll never know what Brown could have achieved, but his family and friends will continue to keep his short legacy alive as they try to find answers.
SOURCE: The Washington Post | PHOTO CREDIT: Handout
