I’m Tired of My Community Not Having Access to the Schools We Deserve

My little brother is a 10-year-old who loves to create slime, play video games and make friends. He’s growing up in a time where a…

What Every First-Gen Student Needs to Know About Attending a Predominately White Institution

Dear first-generation, low-income, immigrant high school seniors, You’re about to accomplish a major milestone. Not only have you made your parents proud, but you have…

I’m Headed to Stanford on a Full-Tuition Scholarship and I Have My Public Charter School to Thank for That

“Education is the way out of poverty and into a better life.” For years, my family harped on this mantra in hopes of providing me…

I Didn’t Think I’d Ever Be Able to Afford College, But Now I Have a Full Ride to Brown

Growing up in Houston, I knew I was capable enough for college. I earned straight A’s in high school and possessed an insatiable drive to…

Nina Wallace Dishes on What It’s Like to Attend Howard and the Lack of Representation of Women of Color in STEM

You aren’t always able to choose family, but even if I were able, I would have still chosen my cousins. My cousin, Nina Wallace, represents…

When I Thought I Was Dreaming Too Big, My Teachers Reminded Me That College Was Going to Be a Reality

I am the Latina daughter of two immigrants. My parents instilled in me from an early age that education was important. When I got older,…

A Second Listen to Student Voice

Common Core author David Coleman shocked a crowd of educators in 2011 when he declared, “…as you grow up in this world, you realize people…

How Free College Programs Can Increase Equity in Our Schools

As someone who has studied free-college Promise programs for over a decade, I read with interest the recent Education Trust report on equity in free-college…

My Science Teacher Told Me I Wasn’t Going to College. Good Thing I Didn’t Believe Him.

I grew up in East San Jose, where I attended our local traditional public schools. In elementary school, I received many awards for my academic…

This School Used to Be a Kmart

In early August, Entrepreneur High School—a state of the art charter school in Highland, California—opened its doors in what was once a Kmart store. Completely…