I was in public school until third grade. The school struggled to communicate effectively with parents and there weren’t programs for students who were academically challenged or for those who were excelling. They taught to where they thought students should be instead of where students actually were and, fundamentally, they weren’t prepared to offer a proper institution for learning for everyone.
Then, because of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, I was able to consider other schools. Before that, we had to attend the school in our ZIP code. But, thanks to DCOSP, I could attend Cornerstone School of Washington, which I attended for eight years and graduated from in 2016.
“My mother always believed I could escape the neighborhood around me if I had a quality education. The problem was I wasn’t getting that quality education in my public, ZIP-code assigned school.”
Today I am a different person because of the school I attended. My mother always believed I could escape the neighborhood around me if I had a quality education. The problem was I wasn’t getting that quality education in my public, ZIP-code assigned school.
By changing schools, though I was still in a bad environment outside of school, in school, I was somewhere that seemed like home, where I could express who I was, I could be challenged academically, and I could ultimately be made into a better person in every facet of life.
I believe it is essential that future generations of students have the same access to a quality education that I received. In Washington, DC, we have had to fight tooth and nail over the last 15 years to keep a scholarship program for our students. Unfortunately, that fight is not becoming easier.
My family and I have done as much as we can to help DC students keep their scholarships; I believe it is time to be a part of the fight at a greater capacity. The Future Leaders Fellowship will be a great way to insert me into the politics of school choice and help students across the nation receive a quality education.
