SALUTE TO GRADUATE TRIBUTES: Virginia high school senior Sequoia Quinn graduates June 20, heads to North Carolina A&T University this fall
Andre Johnson 
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13 KJV)
HBC–UNBELIEVABLE FINISH
Father’s Day is June 21.
Amongst those who will be proud of their child is the late father of Sequoia Indira Quinn.
“I am extremely proud of Sequoia,” Tamika Quinn, the mother of Grassfield High School graduating senior Sequoia Quinn, said, referring to her daughter’s slew of achievements. “She has far exceeded mine and her later father’s expectations. We’ve always known that she was special in every sense of the word. She spoke to me from the womb and not many will understand how amazing it was to see her in my dream before she was even born. Sequoia will make a huge impact in this world, and I’m grateful to have a front row seat.”
Tamika Quinn will be afforded the honor to have a “front row seat” once again during a unique graduation ceremony that will include her beloved daughter.
On Saturday, June 20, Norfolk, Virginia’s Gethsemane Community Fellowship Baptist Church Youth Ministry will host the 2020 Moving On Graduation Parade.
The event, will which will atone for a COVID-19 pandemic that has cancelled traditional ceremonies for this year’s graduating seniors, will begin with vehicles forming a processional at 11 a.m. EST, followed by the parade at noon.
Gethsemane Community Fellowship Baptist Church is located at 1317 East Brambleton Avenue.
“Sequoia has been a member her entire life. She was christened and baptized at Gethsemane Community Fellowship,” Tamika Quinn said.
Along with being raised in a Christian-oriented environment, Sequoia’s parents went to great lengths to instill in her the importance of education, coupled with making wise decisions.
Much to her delight, she steadfastly heeded their wise counsel and, as a result, she has positioned herself mightily to savor the fruits of her labor.
Next up for Sequoia: it’s off to Honors College this fall at North Carolina A&T University, a historically black institution where she plans to major in Engineering Computer Science. Sequoia’s sister, Cashara Quinn, is a product of a historically black college at Hampton University.
Interestingly, Sequoia had become a fixture in a variety of organizations at Grassfield High, most notably having served as Vice-President of Media for Multicultural Club, serving as Secretary and a reporter of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).
In addition, she was a member of the Environmental Club, Anchor Club, World Language Club, and was a member of school’s chorus for the past three years, all the while manufacturing an impressive 4.3 cumulative grade point average.
“Sequoia has continued to soar in spite of tragedy and loss of her father,” Tamika Quinn, a mother of three, said, recalling the two strokes she suffered at 27 years of age — which left half of my body paralyzed and cognitive brain deficits that she still deals with — as well as the sudden death of her husband of 14 years to thyroid cancer.
“Her tenacity and quest for success have been no small feat. She’s the smartest kid in our family and we are all extremely proud of her.”
All of which sums up in large part why this weekend turn of events, by all accounts, figures to be an emotional one for the Quinn family.
“When her name is called at graduation, it will be a moment of not just celebration, but also confirmation that we made it,” Tamika Quinn said. “We made it across the finish line as a family…all the children graduating and going on to fulfill God’s purpose in their lives. I can say with tears in my eyes that I kept my promise to my husband that our children will succeed and finish school.”
As for bolting Virginia in the coming months for North Carolina to enroll in college, Tamika Quinn admittedly is clinging to mixed emotions.
“I’m not thrilled about her leaving for college because she’s my baby girl,” Tamika Quinn said. “I’ve even strongly considered relocating to North Carolina to be closer to her, but I know either way, she will be just fine because she’s intelligent. She has a keen sense of right and wrong.”
As of now, it is unclear if incoming and returning students will be allowed on campus this fall amid the coronavirus outbreak. Either way, Sequoia’s mother is thoroughly prepared to help her youngest child make a rather smooth transition from a newly-installed high school graduate to a brilliantly talented true freshman.
“If this first semester, the students are quarantined at home, I’ll be fine with that because it’s a little more time to have my children home with me,” Tamika Quinn said. “As a mother, to have two children in HBCU’s is a feeling of joy that’s indescribable. I feel like even while raising my kids in a suburban area, I still got it right because their sense of self love is limitless. That’s the type of success that matters to me so much more than a GPA.”
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Whether your child has already graduated or not, if you would like to pay homage to his/her accomplishments with a unique Salute To Graduates Tribute that will feature a story like the one above with multiple photos, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
Andre Johnson is the award-winning Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to [email protected] or to [email protected]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
