NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Cheryl Wills, Emmy-award winning anchor with Spectrum News NY1, wowed students at New Rochelle High School, Isaac E. Young Middle School and Albert Leonard Middle School when she visited to talk about her experiences as an author, journalist, actor and historian.
She discussed slavery and emancipation through her own family history. Touching on themes of pride and self-discovery, she encouraged students to empower themselves by embracing their own history and heritage. Also in her May 29 visit, she talked about the children’s book she wrote, “The Emancipation of Grandpa Sandy Wills,” about her ancestor who won his freedom from slavery by fighting as a soldier in The Civil War.
Students enjoyed the presentation, and some talked with her afterward.
“I heard a lot of students walking away saying, ‘Wow, that’s the kind of person I want to be like,'” said IEYMS Assistant Principal Frank Carlson.