Seniors discover discipline, focus and pride in real-world test
After working and waiting for three months, High Tech High International (HTHI) students and staff learned May 10 that President Barack Obama will not speak at their commencement ceremony. Despite the disappointing news, HTHI students continue to hold their heads high with a distinct sense of accomplishment. HTHI ranked among the top three schools in the nation for the honor after competing against more than 450 other schools nationwide in the challenge to host the president in what is called the “Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge.” “It’s been a whirlwind and we’ve been excited to participate in the contest,” said senior Rishika Daryanani. “I’m disappointed that our school wasn’t highlighted, but we are so lucky to be highlighted with [the winning schools].” The Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge asked U.S. high schools to demonstrate how they equip their students academically and empower them to graduate from college and join the workforce. HTHI is one of nine in a system of High Tech High charter schools established in 2000 with the goal of developing the academic, citizenship and professional skills of their students. According to the required final video HTHI students submitted to the commencement challenge judges, HTHI students have a 100 percent graduation rate and a 93 percent two-year college retention rate. Even with these impressive strengths, Obama selected Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, Tenn., as the winner. The White House will, however, send NASA?administrator and former astronaut Charles F. Bolden Jr. to speak at HTHI’s commencement. “It’s a big honor to get anybody from the White House to come,” said sophomore Jacob Mandel. “And no other school [in San Diego] gets to say, ‘Hey, Obama was thinking of coming here.’” In February, when the challenge began, HTHI’s senior class took charge and applied to compete in the challenge. Daryanani and classmate Marisol Jenkins spearheaded the application process, which included writing three essays and producing a two-minute video. The team included more than 90 seniors. In early April, HTHI ranked among the top six schools, and students got to work on their next assignment: a three-minute video. With the help of Viacom and MTV, Daryanani said, they shot and edited the video in just ten hours. For this phase, the entire school worked together. Parents signed permission slips allowing their children to be seen on TV and on the Internet. Cameras recorded for two days. Freshman Terré Block said one math teacher motivated students by providing donuts during the process. “We had to be very disciplined and very mature to take on this challenge,” said Block. “We had to properly exhibit ourselves to the rest of the world.” Students submitted the video and, in early May, HTHI found itself among the remaining top three contenders, alongside Booker T. Washington High School and Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Wash. “These [three] schools represent the very best American public education has to offer,” posted White House officials at www.whitehouse.org. “We are so proud of all the teachers, students, administrators, parents and communities who are working together to help meet President Obama’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020.” HTHI held a community meeting May10 to announce the White House’s decision. Although those on campus were disappointed, students and staff also seemed more proud than ever. “How can you have a class of students reach this level of achievement and not feel proud?” said dean of students Melissa Agudelo, who credits the school’s success to the strength of its students. “I’m just proud that we got this far,” said freshman Josh Shtein. “Coming to this school for the first year and being involved in something like this was a great experience. It made us feel like part of a family. It was very special.” Even students at neighboring HTH schools said they are proud of their counterparts at HTHI. Cecilia Gonzales, an eighth-grader at High Tech Middle School, said she is looking forward to joining HTHI’s freshman class next year. “[This] made me think that it’s a better school than I thought it was,” Gonzales said. Despite the disappointment, HTHI students not only swelled with pride — they also demonstrated good sportsmanship. Representatives of HTHI called their counterparts at Booker T. Washington High School to congratulate them, said Shtein. Students said they may not have won a visit from the president, but they have learned much. “It’s had a unifying effect,” said Agudelo. “It’s been empowering. It’s been a real lesson for them in a real-world context. And that’s one of the things that’s been good for them to go through. It’s such a cliché to say, but there’s such a growth in a loss. [More] than in a victory.” The Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge began last year in a partnership between the White House, Viacom and the Get Schooled Foundation. Last year’s winning school was Kalamazoo Central High in Michigan. HTHI’s commencement ceremony takes place Saturday, June 25.