Four years ago, we launched GEO Next Generation High School of Baton Rouge with a big idea–our students from underserved communities in Baton Rouge would earn college degrees BEFORE graduating from our open enrollment high school.
Was it a pipe dream? Would students enroll? Would they achieve the goals that only 157 students achieved in the entire state in 2019 (the latest data available)?
Well, on May 17, we will celebrate our Baton Rouge Class of 2023, a group of 68 students. While we will celebrate all, we will especially celebrate six students who earned full associate degrees and three who earned career certifications (pictured above). We will also celebrate fifteen additional students who earned a full year of college while in our high school.
This is only the beginning, too. Next year, we will celebrate even more students having earned college degrees and career certifications.
This year’s class is SPECIAL. Why? They had no upper classmen to tell them the way. They cut their own path to success. They took the chance on us. They took the chance on themselves. They proved they can do college work if only they were empowered.
It’s been a wonderful journey these past four years, too. We’ve built a new state-of-the-art high school on the Northeast side of Baton Rouge. We launched a marching band that is second to none. We formed a wonderful partnership with Baton Rouge Community College which provides us space on their campus for our students to take classes. And our Class of 2023 earned 1189 college credits along the way.
How significant is this? Well, earlier this year, the state’s board of education shot down a plan to require high school seniors to earn 12 college credits to qualify for graduation. The argument was that 12 credits was too many. Not for our students. 34% of our graduating class earned a full year of college while in our high school. A full 60% experienced real college courses during their high school career with us.
Most importantly, our students are ready to go on to complete college. They have the self discipline, self confidence and the time management skills to be successful at the next level.
I can’t wait for May 17 to get here. It will be a great day!
Sincerely,
Kevin Teasley
Founder & President
GEO Foundation
P.S.: If you want to join us on May 16th for our 10th Anniversary Celebration, please click this link 10th Anniversary Dinner Celebration to RSVP. Thank you.
