Kara "Karie" Baxter, 18, is a 2008 graduate of Peterson-Warren Academy (PWA) in Inkster, Mich. A member of the Maranatha Church in Detroit, Kara is an extremely talented, Christian young lady who was active in her church and is remembered for her willingness to help at schoo. "Whenever she was asked to lead out or assist, the answer was always 'Yes!'" said Nettie Gray, school counselor. Kara is well rounded and was a featured speaker for the "Elijah Project," sponsored by her church. A gifted singer, Kara has delivered special music for various programs.

Kara was a member of the R.D. Barnes Honor Society, and she maintained a 4.0 GPA since eighth grade. Kara was Student Association president. The most important thing she learned in academy is to "put all my trust in God. ... I know for a fact that I would not have made it through high school without God's unending grace and mercy."

The eighth grade elocution class at PWA was Kara's most memorable experience. There, Kara was able to speak on abortion at an annual speaking competition hosted by the school.

Kara's favorite class was Black History. She loved "learning about my ancestors and what they went through to make their dreams come true. The plight of the Black race is really inspiring, because it shows that you can come from nothing and become somebody."

After graduation, Kara plans to attend college. She will major in history and political science, and plans to eventually become a lawyer and then a judge.

Kara is the daughter of David and Renée Baxter of Eastpointe, Mich.

Dominion "Nikko" Burch, 20, is a 2008 graduate of Peterson-Warren Academy (PWA) in Inkster, Mich. A member of the City Temple Church in Detroit, Dominion may be best described as a cooperative, gentle person and a gifted artist. According to school counselor Nettie Gray, "He [got] along extremely well with his classmates and adults. With each passing school year, I have watched Dominion mature both academically, socially and spiritually."

A member of the PWA school choir, Dominion also sings with his church choir. He is involved in other aspects of the church.

Dominion says he enjoyed the music festival at Andrews University in 2008. "It was awesome singing with students from the other academies. The music was a taste of how the heavenly choir must sound."

While Dominion has always loved art and computer animation, the introduction of a robotics class at PWA soon became his favorite. He says, "I enjoyed participating in the robotics competition with my fellow team mates and seeing the creations of other teams."

This fall Dominion plans to attend Oakwood University where he will major in computer animation and music.

Dominion is the son of Herman and Lorraine Burch of Detroit.