WS Chronicle

In above photo: QEA chief executive director Simon Johnson (R), presents Ernie H. Pitt (L) founder and publisher of The Chronicle with a plaque during the 14th Annual Legacy Ceremony. (Photo by Tevin Stinson)

Pitt, Oliphant honored during annual Legacy Ceremony

By Tevin Stinson

The Chronicle

Quality Education Academy (QEA) has officially made two additions to its hall of legends.

Last weekend, Chronicle Publisher Ernest H. Pitt and financial expert Roy Ellsworth Oliphant were honored during the school’s 14h annual Legacy Ceremony.

The gala is a fundraising event designed to give thanks to prominent community figures who helped the dream of QEA become a reality.

The free public charter school is known for its holistic approach to high academic achievement and its emphasis on family involvement, cultural awareness and personal responsibility.

Judge Denise Hartsfield of the 21st Judicial District said that it was a privilege to host the event that honored two great men who have improved the lives of so many in the community over the years.

She applauded Pitt for dedicating so much time and effort to delivering positive and uplifting news stories to the people of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

“Mr. Pitt makes it his business to let us know the good things that are going on in our community,” she continued. “In a world where the press writes about negative images, in Winston-Salem we have the privilege to have a local news publication that tells it like it is and applauds us for being who we are.”

Hartsfield described Oliphant as a man in a powerful position who serves a powerful God that leads him to make the right decisions for the people in the community.

As a loan operations specialist for commercial banking at Wells Fargo, Oliphant is responsible for providing money for new buildings and businesses in the area.

Oliphant is also a founding member of the Lambda Eta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., chartered on the campus of Wake Forest University in 1975. He also serves on the QEA Board of Directors.

During their acceptance speeches, the honorees bestowed words of advice upon the many students in attendance.

Pitt pushed students to get to know themselves, and to have a committed relationship with God, which is aligned with the core values of the QEA curriculum.

“The great maker made you to be everything that you want to be, so you should never doubt yourself, even through hardships,” he said. “God places hardships before us so that we can learn lessons from them.

“Once you build that relationship with God, you will begin to see those hardships as stepping stones that you will use to make yourself a better person.”

Oliphant encouraged students to be more giving and caring to others.

“The biggest thing I want to pass on to the young people is to not be selfish and learn how to help someone else,” he continued. “If we had more compassion for each other, we wouldn’t see as much carnage as we see today.”

Chief Executive Officer Simon Johnson said the annual Legacy Ceremony is one of the many ways QEA is creating a long enduring institution that will serve our communities and particularly the children in our community.

“Legacy is a fundraiser for us, but this is not the most important purpose of Legacy,” Johnson said.

“One of the most important things that we must consider is longevity and continuity within longevity,” he continued. “Legacy creates a tradition and a trend that down through the years will bind the core values of the school together with the community.”