There is something that happens at a commencement ceremony that is hard to put into words. You watch young people walk across a stage and you know, in a way that is difficult to articulate, that everything that was poured into them is right there in that moment. The faith, the late nights, the corrections, the encouragement, the prayers. All of it visible in the way they carry themselves.

That was Sunday afternoon at Imani Christian Academy.

Eight seniors, Darius Clark, David Davis, Matthew Fulmore, Deston Hubbard, Nahjir Norris, Anthony Portis, CeDon Terry, and Avrianna West, received their diplomas at our 2026 commencement ceremony, surrounded by the families, friends, and teachers who helped get them there. It was a beautiful afternoon. And it was exactly what we work for.

“You Have Arrived”

CEO & Head of School Paulo Nzambi opened the ceremony with words of faith that have guided the Imani community. Citing Jeremiah, he reminded graduates, and everyone in the room, that God’s plans for each of them are plans to prosper, to give hope, and to give a future. “Honor and glory to the Most High God,” he said, “for his goodness and mercy endures forever. For he has seen you through to this, your graduation day.”

Board Chair David Berardinelli, who has volunteered with Imani for nearly a decade and also helps coach our football team, spoke briefly and from the heart. He said what many in the room were feeling. “Thank you for letting us help you grow these young men and this young woman into the burgeoning adults and successful young people that they are and will grow on to be.”

A Moment the Room Won’t Forget

When valedictorian Anthony Portis took the podium, he spoke honestly about pressure, the self-doubt, the silent battles, the work of growing from a child into someone ready to assume space in the world.

“Today is about more than grades and accomplishments. It’s about knowing that we have successfully faced challenges, learning from our missteps. To persevere with courage to never give up. It is about our ambition and our ability to push through.”

And then he told his own story.

“I was born prematurely,” Portis said, “and my parents were given a list of milestones that I was not expected to achieve.”

He paused.

“But look at me now.”

The room erupted before he could finish the sentence. When the applause and cheers of encouragement settled, he continued: valedictorian, student council president, captain of this year’s football team. It was a moment that captured something true about every student in that room. It’s what happens at Imani. Young people the world may have underestimated exceed every expectation.

Cherish the Ordinary

Salutatorian Deston Hubbard, who came to Imani in the third grade and once sat in that same gymnasium watching his older brother graduate, delivered a charge that was quietly profound. His message to his classmates was simple, and worth hearing: slow down.

“The moments that feel ordinary today,” Hubbard said, “will become the moments you miss the most. One day you will look back and realize the things that seemed impossible became possible. The doors you thought were closed suddenly opened when the time was right.”

For a group of young people standing on the edge of everything new, it was a reminder that the life they are stepping into is worth being present for.

Prepared to Win

Clarence Jackson, Vice President of Community Development at Dollar Bank, delivered the commencement address. Jackson has worked alongside our students through financial

education programming, and he spoke to them as someone who genuinely knows them. He addressed something many of our graduates may quietly carry: imposter syndrome, the persistent doubt that you do not belong where you have worked hard to be.

Growing up in Homewood and attending a private school surrounded by what he described as Pittsburgh’s elite, Jackson spoke openly about the days he felt out

of place, like he could not possibly deserve to be there. He has since arrived in a career of real impact and community service. And he wanted our graduates to know that the doubt they feel is not the truth about who they are.

“Even though the world is uncertain,” he told the Class of 2026, “you are better prepared than most. Your parents, your caregivers, they’ve put you in a position to win.”

He closed with the same words Mr. Nzambi spoke to him when he first hesitated to accept the invitation to speak. Words he now passed on to eight young people who have more than earned them.

“You are qualified. You’re no one’s imposter. You have arrived, and you are worthy.”

Congratulations, Class of 2026

We are so proud of each of you. Go do great things.