There is definitely a celebratory mood at Southland College Prep Charter High School.
Not only have all 125 seniors at Southland College Prep Charter High School been accepted to the colleges and universities of their choice, but students have also been offered $60 million in merit and need based scholarships.
“I’ve always been driven to be a better student in a classroom, really take in what I’m learning and really challenge myself to the best of my abilities. ” says senior Michael Igbinoba, the first Southland male student in the school’s ten year history to be accepted to Princeton University.
Robert Jackson is the first Southland student to get accepted to California Institute of Technology. His advice to other students, “Don’t be afraid to fail and always go for the highest achieving things you can do. Push past any boundary in your way and just go for the top.”
Valedictorian Hailey Love is the first in her family to go to college, and has been accepted to a record five Ivy League Schools. She also has $4 million in scholarships and is a Gates Scholar, which will pay for all of her college costs.
Love credits her family and school community for her successes.
“They always pushed the importance of being educated. Going to college learning more about not only yourself but also about the world behind you, and it really sparked a curiosity and an urgency to learning," Love told NBC 5.
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Despite spending most of high school learning virtually and social distancing, these students made remarkable achievements as the 10th "all-in" graduating class of Southland College Prep Charter School.
Dr. Blondean Davis, CEO and founder, says,” With all they’ve been through, it is our strongest class academically, it’s the strongest class in terms of where they’ve been accepted.”
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