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Tylik Thomas, 18, stood as valedictorian among 63 graduates at East River Academy within Rikers Island. It was a rare moment of triumph.
Major milestone for youth at Rikers Island
The July 16 ceremony marked a powerful milestone for incarcerated youth. Many of them overcame significant educational and personal obstacles to earn their diplomas.
“In some of the harshest and roughest living conditions known to man, we found light in a place where darkness and negativity reign supreme,” Thomas said in his speech, broadcast by ABC 7 New York…