A Special Thank You to Burgard High School

This columnist would like to thank the students at Burgard High School for their recent honor that they gave me at their high school graduation on Thursday, June 25, 2026. The art students created a beautiful poster of me which was put on their float during the 50th anniversary of the Juneteenth Festival at the Dr. Martin Luther Park.

It was a colorful poster featuring my portrait. This project was part of recognizing community members who have made outstanding contributions to the school and the city of Buffalo. The poster was presented during the graduation ceremony. I greatly appreciate this honor. I have presented scholarship money to several students at Burgard. Some of the students have entered my essay contests and have been winners.

I gave the students the following message: To the students who worked on this project I thank you for using your talents and your creativity in producing such a beautiful portrait. You have a tremendous gift. As you go forward, I encourage you to use your talents to bring light into the world. I greatly appreciate you all for including me in your work! Continue to use your imagination Thank you for giving me this beautiful picture. I will treasure it always.

This plaque will always stand out. Of all the plaques I have received for the past 50 years, this one will have a powerful memory. It will be a memory from students who made magic with their artistic talents. I would also like to give a special thank you to Veronica Ivey a Social Worker and counselor who works at the school.

She always encourages the students to apply for the Romeo Doyle Muhammad Scholarship and to enter my essay contests. Special thanks to one of the principals at Burgard Dr, Vickie Baxter for her kind words. Sometimes we don’t think that our students are paying attention, However, they are paying attention to the positive things that we do!!