All Seniors at Two Redwood City Schools Graduate College Ready

Every student graduating from two Redwood City high schools--Summit Everest and Summit Prep--are graduating college ready, which is double the average of their peers within San Mateo County.

In California, high school graduates are considered college ready if they have completed a collection of courses as designated by the University of California and California State College System. In San Mateo County, only just over one of every two high school graduates meets this requirement. When looking at Hispanic students graduating in San Mateo County, it drops to just 41 percent. At both Summit Prep and Summit Everest, where about two-thirds of students are Hispanic, all students graduated meeting these requirements.

“At Summit, we believe that every student should be equipped to lead a fulfilled life. Nowhere is the opportunity for a fulfilled life more pronounced than in college and career readiness,” said Summit Public Schools Superintendent Anson Jackson. “By preparing our students not only academically but to know themselves, we have empowered them to choose a fulfilled and purposeful life. We’re eager to see how our students will impact and improve our communities.”

Brandon Kenery, a Summit Prep graduate, will attend Stanford University in the fall. Kenery has chosen to study engineering to promote sustainability in transportation after a successful internship at Redwood City’s transportation department through Summit’s expeditions program.

Ignatius Hayer, a graduate from Summit Everest, is going to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he will be pursuing a degree in hospitality.

“Summit was able to give me opportunities I would never have at a big school,” said Hayer. “I was able to plan prom and work on the budget with the teachers, we went to different venues during my independent study and was able to meet with vendors. This is where I found my love of planning events and interest in pursuing a career in hospitality.”

Summit’s innovative project-based learning model allows students to engage in deeper learning and infuse their interests into their education, helping them to develop the habits and skills that lead to academic and personal success, including college acceptance. This year, Summit seniors have been accepted to some of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the country, including Duke University, Boston University, University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley.

Prep and Everest, which are part of Summit Public Schools, were recently ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Summit Public Schools has prepared every graduating student, since its first graduating class in 2007 to this year’s graduates, for college. This month, it celebrates about 500 graduates from seven schools across two states. Summit alumni are twice as likely to complete college as their peers.

To learn more about Summit Prep or Summit Everest, please visit http://summitps.org/.