Originally published on Cleveland County Herald – May 22th, 2024
RISON – Rison native, Lailah Harding, a 2020 graduate of Arkansas Virtual Academy and former Rison Wildcat athlete graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff during commencement exercises on May 11, 2024, at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. Harding graduates with Magna Cum Laude honors earning a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology Management and Applied Engineering. During her matriculation Lailah was a member of the Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South (M4 Band), The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and The UAPB Stem Academy where she served as the organization’s Project Manager and Treasurer. Lailah is a Spring 2022 initiate of the Alpha Rho Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. Among her collegiate achievements Harding made two appearances in the national HBCU Battle of the Brains; and has appeared on the UAPB Chancellors List 7 times and The UAPB Deans List once during her time there. After graduation she plans to pursue a post-graduate degree in business administration while working for consulting firm Deloitte in Houston, Texas a role she begins in August 2024. Lailah is the daughter of Ebony Harding Kendrick of Little Rock and the granddaughter of Lee and Jametta Harper of Rison and B.J. Harding of Warren.
To learn more about Arkansas Virtual Academy please visit, https://arva.k12.com.
