CHICAGO (WGN) — Friday marked the ending of a chapter and the beginning of a new one for dozens of Urban Prep Academies graduates.

Musical selections filled the room as over 50 high school graduates took their seats at the Harold Washington Cultural Center on Chicago's South Side. As the graduates prepared to take their next step in life, they were given parting words from their commencement speaker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

"As you walk across the stage, college-bound, as scholars today, I applaud you for making this milestone, but you are not finished," Johnson said.

"Your resilience, your spirit, your ethic, your intelligence, your determination, all will serve you well."

Urban Prep Academies operates two charter high schools on the city's South Side. Since opening its Bronzev

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