It was a day out of the classroom, but at Barclays Center on Monday, Karinna Torres-Gordon, 12, got some encouragement to stick to her goal of attending college.

“I like that they’re telling us that we need to graduate and stuff, and focus on school and stop skipping,” Torres-Gordon, a seventh grader, said.

Torres-Gordon was among hundreds of students gathered for the 14th annual I WILL GRADUATE celebration. It was part of a youth development program that includes a six-week series of workshops that help kids stay on track in school.

“The youth of New York City needed a boost. They needed to know that they were loved, especially after the pandemic and all of the mental health challenges a lot of our young people are facing,” Tonya Lewis Taylor, the organization’s founder and executive director, said.

Taylor is hoping to reach as many kids as possible after two years of remote learning, using her skills and connections as a former music industry executive to recruit celebrities to help motivate students.

“We can be all that we were called to be in excellence. We just have to work hard,” Taylor said.

That message resonated with students like 12-year-old Kyla Greaves.

“I’m looking forward to graduating and stuff, and inspiring my little brother and stuff to do that too, [and] trying to make my mom proud,” Greaves said.