Why I’m Celebrating My Middle School’s 10th Birthday

kipp star

By Quinzel Perry, University of Michigan Student & KIPP STAR College Prep Alumnus

My public middle school is turning ten years old this year. While this isn’t an occasion that would probably register with most students, when your school propels you from Harlem, NY to the University of Michigan, there is reason to celebrate.

The school I attended was KIPP STAR Middle School. Back when my parents were enrolling me in middle school a decade ago, the options in our neighborhood were pretty bleak. Low achievement and graduation rates had plagued the community for as long as my parents could remember, and they set out to find a school that would give me a better chance at success.

KIPP, with its college graduation focus and impressive reputation in New York, seemed like an oasis to my parents. They were drawn to the longer school day and the amazing mix of extracurriculars, from sports to music. They also liked what they heard about KIPP’s focus on character building. They decided to send me to KIPP, which in turn, opened my eyes to the opportunities I have been afforded to this day.

To understand how special KIPP is, you have to first analyze what KIPP asks of its students. We were expected to be in school from 7:25 am to 5 pm on a daily basis, with three or more hours of homework per night. As KIPPsters, we were held to a high standard, and to remain successful, KIPP teachers have to be held to an even higher standard. From creating fascinating lesson plans, to coaching sports teams, it is obvious that KIPP teachers love their students deeply. Their support made all the difference for me, and helped me learn to love school and learning.

As students at KIPP STAR, we were taught kindness, teamwork, respect for others and ourselves, dedication to our community, and the ability to focus on the possibilities that lay down the road in the future. These tenets were woven into our lessons, and were also taught as stand-alone lessons themselves. We were taught to be the best we could be, and that the best was something achievable.

But it wasn’t until I started applying to high schools that I realized how my education up to that point set me apart from many of my peers at other schools. I was accepted with a full scholarship to St. Paul’s, a boarding school in New Hampshire. From the start, I saw how well KIPP prepared me for the academic challenges I’d face at the school as well as the social ones—living away from home with new friends in a foreign setting.

One of the most meaningful aspects of a KIPP education, is that the support doesn’t end at graduation. In middle school, my KIPP Through College counselor provided me ongoing academic and social support. The counselors brought representatives from prestigious schools across the country to come visit in person and discuss the possibilities such institutions offered. When it came time for me to apply to college, my counselors flooded my e-mail with application reminders, scholarship information, and more. They helped with the application process, coached me through interviews, and even provided transportation to far away campuses. All of this gave me the confidence that I would become what I wanted to be: a Michigan Wolverine.

Success at St. Paul’s was a bridge to attending the University of Michigan. And even though I am now years out of the school, the KIPP team continues to support me academically and socially and prepare me for the next round of challenges: college graduation and the job market. All kids should have these opportunities.

Where I am now, and where I feel I am headed, has everything to do with where I come from. Harlem will always have a place in my heart regardless of where I go. The foundation that KIPP STAR laid for me and thousands of other kids over the past ten years has prepared me to succeed and encouraged me to stay connected to my community. Let’s celebrate KIPP STAR’s tenth birthday with a wish for all students to get the same chance I did.

For more information about KIPP STAR Middle School in Harlem, NY, click here.