JOBS students cross finish line
By Elliott Robinson
Aug 27, 2010, 14:35
HOPEWELL — Being courteous, adventurous and smart was the message Daphne Maxwell Reid gave to the students in the Hopewell-Prince George Chamber of Commerce JOBS Program Monday.
The program, gives middle and high school students the opportunity to couple learning about business and industry with on-the job training. Over the summer, about 40 students completed about 120 hours of work as well as the JOBS Program curriculum. Several sponsors contributed over $31,000 to the program this year.
For their work, the students were rewarded with a graduation ceremony at the Hopewell Moose Lodge with Reid as their guest speaker. She and her husband, Tim Reid founded New Millennium Studios in Petersburg in 1997. She is best known for her role as Aunt Viv on the comedy "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air."
Her speech touch on her her life from growing up in housing projects in New York City to becoming the first black homecoming queen at Northwestern University and the first black woman on the cover of "Glamour" magazine. She said that, throughout her life, she kept a positive image and, especially in the Internet age, the students should strive to do the same.
"Images never go away," she said. "If you're doing negative images, they will be there forever."
The ceremony also gave the students the opportunity to mention their goals and how they will obtain them. As the prepared to share them, Reid said that they should set goals, no matter how little, and be prepared for anything.
"You've challenged yourselves and you lived up to that challenge," she said. "Hold your head up high and be proud of what you did."
