Community icon Adrienne Coddette leads annual march to celebrate Ottawa’s newest graduates
Friday 16 June 2023
by Ruth Aman
On a late Friday afternoon, 40 students, teachers, administrators, and community members gathered at 29 Lisgar Street with one heart and goal in mind: celebrating the class of 2023. This celebration entitled the ‘Walk With Excellence 2023’ brought individuals from all over the city together to recognize the great achievement of this year’s Black high school graduates.
The ‘Walk With Excellence’ is a ceremony that began about 10 years ago in a small neighbourhood within the Greater Toronto Area known as Jane & Finch. Originally created to celebrate the graduating students of that area, this then became a rite of passage which was adopted by other neighbourhoods and ultimately spread to Ottawa.
In Ottawa, it is organized by the community organization ‘3 Dreads and a Bald Head’, led by Adrienne Coddett. Coddett is a popular name within the city as she not only teaches at Woodroffe High School but she also is the voice of the radio show Black on Black on CHUO 89.1. As a community leader, activist, and mentor she inspires youth of all ages to march on toward greater achievement with confidence and empowerment. She has fostered close connections with all in her reach and has made a great impact on the lives of many Black youths within the city of Ottawa. To her, this celebration was the culmination of Black success and presence within the city. She noted this event as ‘her favourite time of the year’.
Once all who had wished to partake in the event had gathered at Lisgar Collegiate Institute, the oldest high school in Ottawa, Coddett opened up with a great welcome and details of the event. Students and supporters would be walking from Lisgar to Ottawa University, roughly a 5-minute walk, to symbolize the transition from high school to University. They would then be entreated to a small ceremony in which one student and one teacher would be recognized for their exceptional work during this last school year and involvement in the lives around them, and an overall congratulatory message for those graduating.
At UOttawa, all guests were asked to sit down and Coddett gave another introduction to the program. She spoke of the remarkable accomplishments of all the students and how this event would not exist without their hard work. The ceremony then proceeded with a brief moment of recognition and reflection on the past school year.
A guidance counsellor in the school district named Mr. Seguin was given special recognition award for his passion for the youth he supported. Though a guidance counsellor, he was available for more than just ‘course selection’. Coddett explained how he went to extreme lengths to take care of the students in his care. He would drive from one end of the city to another, outside of school hours, just to ensure that his students were doing well. He encouraged them at every step of their educational journey and left a significant mark on students and teachers alike. Coddet handed him an award and they posed for a picture.
Following him, student Ellie Hannah Fortune was awarded this year’s Dr. Michelle Walker Scholar. With her family, church leaders, and partner in the crowd loud cheers arose when Coddett called her name. This individual was active in all aspects of her educational journey. She volunteered in multiple groups, excelled academically, and brought joy to those around her. She gave a speech and thanked her family and friends for supporting her in everything she did.
After this, all the students were given a shirt created by the organization. On the shirt were the words ‘Black Joy’ and ‘Class of 2023’ written in Roman numerals. The students gathered with all community members and educators to take a group picture. This concluded the 2023 ‘Walk With Excellence’ ceremony.
When asked about the class of 2023, Coddet commented saying, “To the class of 2023: congratulations because this is the amazing result of what came out of some very challenging times”. She noted that this was the first ‘pandemic’ group, which had about 3 years of impact. They dealt with the challenges of learning online, being isolated from their peers and systemic barriers as they are already a minority group. That being said, they excelled even beyond anyone’s wildest dream.
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Ruth Aman is a Project Officer with Black History Ottawa. She holds a Bachelor of Global and International Studies (Honors) degree, with a specialization in Law and Social Justice from Carleton University.