School's seniors all college-bound for 7th straight year
CHICAGO -- It was a big day for seniors at Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men as they recited the school's creed at a special ceremony at Daley Plaza Tuesday, CBS Chicago reports.
"It's a great day," said senior Rudolph Long, who's attending Hampton University in the fall. "I feel great. We all made it. We all come from good environments, so to see us all going to college is nice."
The entire class of 2016 has committed to four-year colleges or universities, and surrounded by friends, family and spectators, each student announced the college or university he has chosen to attend and committed to that school by signing the Urban Prep "100 Percent To College" banner and the "Credimus Book."
Founder and CEO of Urban Prep Tim King said students have been admitted to more than 220 colleges and universities this year.
"We've got two guys going to my alma mater, Georgetown University ... we have our first admit to Yale University this year," said King. "We have students who've been admitted to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Morehouse College ... schools all over the country. It's a huge level of diversity in terms of the types of schools these young men will be going to in the fall."
Urban Prep's class of 2016 has received more than 1,500 college admissions and has been awarded more than $15 million in scholarships and grants. This is the seventh year in a row 100 percent of the class is headed to college.
"Every year, I'm just wowed by these young men by what they are doing," King said. "They really make me proud. We started Urban Prep with the goal of moving the needle when it comes to black male achievement, and these guys proved to me, the city and the world every year that we did the right thing when we founded Urban Prep 10 years ago."
"We love telling the world where we're going in life. We share our brotherhood," said senior Tyree George, who is attending Hampton University. "Urban Prep expanded my mind to look at the bigger picture. I'm going to major in veterinarian medicine."