City Council Ceremonial Session Honors Dual Enrollment Students - May 14, 2025
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City Council Ceremonial Session Honors Dual Enrollment Students - May 14, 2025
On May 14, 2025, the Hampton City Council held a ceremonial session to recognize 65 dual enrollment students who earned associate degrees concurrently with their high school diplomas. The meeting was called to order at 5:31 p.m. and adjourned at 6:10 p.m. All seven council members were present.
Ceremonial Items – Spotlight on Hampton City Schools' Dual Enrollment Students
Mayor Jimmy Gray welcomed school officials including School Board Chair Dr. Richard Mason, Vice Chair Stephanie Jackson Afonja, Superintendent Dr. Raymond Haynes, Deputy Superintendent Dr. John Caggiano, and principals from Bethel and Phoebus High Schools. Brian Marchese, Outreach and Creative Coordinator, read the names of 65 students, who each received a certificate from the City Council.
Note: The Mayor initially stated there were 58 students from Phoebus High School and one from Bethel High School (totaling 59), but the official list and subsequent remarks referenced 65 students. This discrepancy was not addressed during the meeting; the minutes and Superintendent confirmed 65 graduates.
Superintendent Dr. Raymond Haynes described the dual enrollment program, which began in the 2016–2017 school year in partnership with Virginia Peninsula Community College. In 2018, the first two graduates earned both a high school diploma and an associate degree through the Ace Academy. Since then, a total of 226 students have earned associate degrees while in high school. The 65 honorees will graduate from Virginia Peninsula Community College on May 15, 2025, before receiving their high school diplomas the following month. Dr. Haynes emphasized that the program is provided at no cost to students and is part of the district's commitment to ensuring students are college, career, and life ready.
Key Outcomes
- Recognition: 65 dual enrollment students were honored with certificates from the City Council.
- Program Statistics: A total of 226 students have earned associate degrees through the program since its inception, including the 65 recognized.
- Next Steps: Superintendent Haynes encouraged families to take photos after the ceremony to memorialize the achievement. The meeting adjourned at 6:10 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Hampton City Council special session uh this evening. I'd like to ask the clerk to call a roll. Councilman Bowman. Present. Vice Mayor Brown. Here. Councilwoman Campbell, present. Councilwoman Fairby. Present. Councilwoman Harper, present. Councilwoman Muggler. Present. Mayor Gray. President. Tonight I'm pleased to welcome you as we congratulate this year's dual enrollment students, which uh 58 students from Phoebus High School and one from Bethel High School. But before we get started tonight, I'd like to acknowledge uh some people who are joining us for this event. Uh we see we have our school board chair, Dr. Richard Mason. Uh please and where you are, Dr. Mason. Welcome. And do we have our vice chair uh Stephanie Fonda Jackson? Is she here? Okay. Um and then our school superintendent. I know I saw him, Dr. Raymond Haynes. Where are you, Dr. Haynes? And we have our deputy superintendent, Dr. John Caggiano. Good to see you. And we have uh Chief of Secondary School Leadership is uh Mr. Shamika Pollard here. There you go. How are you doing, Miss Pollard? Good to see you this evening. Uh it's Dr. James Harris here. Okay, all right. And then um from Bethel High School, do we have uh Dr. Tanya Howard, executive uh principal? How are you doing this evening? Um the Academy principal, Mr. Travis Oliver. All right, welcome. And from Phoebus High School, we have uh Dr. David Cocoley, principal. And the Academy principal this evening, we have uh Miss Lindsay Jackson. How are you doing, Miss Jackson?
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