Who We Serve

James

College Coach aF BROOKLYN HIGH '16 Dartmouth college '20

Four years before James began attending Dartmouth College and eight years before he entered the working world during a pandemic, he was sitting at the AF Brooklyn High freshman orientation when organizers put a number on the board. The number was 8.

At first, no one knew what it meant. When the leader explained, based on data they drew from at the time, that only 8 percent of students of color graduated with a college degree—James was shaken. And inspired. James knew he wanted to be a part of the solution.

He combined his love for math with his passion for sociology and African-American studies, and became a quantitative social science major so that he could analyze data in areas like education and family life. He studied abroad in Paris—he was there when the French national team won the World Cup—and learned about the African diaspora. He went on to do his senior research project on college drop-out rates, delving into the disparate challenges students from low-income backgrounds face. And he promised himself that he would do something about it, that any mentorship he could give, he would.

Through his involvement in Basta—an organization whose mission is to create a bridge of opportunity between employers and first-generation college goers of color to increase diversity of the knowledge workforce—he landed his first job after graduation at Donors Choose working on the marketing and partnership management teams. James gravitated to Donors Choose because of the interest in education he cultivated as a student at Achievement First. He recently transitioned to a new role in this sector: he currently serves as college coach for Beyond12. As a side project, he’s writing a sitcom focused on a middle-class Black family, a project he envisions as a modern “Boy Meets World” that centers Black characters.

James is just getting started. He didn’t get to walk across the graduation stage because of COVID-19. But, he says, he knows what it means for a Black man from East New York, Brooklyn, to graduate from an Ivy League School, and that is enough. The number 8 did not limit him. And he’s dedicated to ensuring it doesn’t limit others, either.

STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE

Since March 2020, we’ve found out what perseverance looks like. It looks like our teachers and leaders doing everything in their power to make sure the strength of the AF school community—whether remote or in-person—stays strong. It’s our students, who persist through tremendous challenges to tackle rigorous material and engage in their own student-led groups to discuss and debate issues that matter to them most. Above all else, it is our class of 2021—who persevered through 1.5 years of school during a pandemic, racism-driven national unrest, and personal and collective grief all while plotting their courses after high school. Our incredible group of 451 seniors garnered 2,448 college acceptances to state and private colleges and universities, Ivy League institutions, Historically Black Universities and women’s colleges, advanced in their pursuit of a trade or joined the United States Military. We are so proud of who they are and what they’ve done. And, we’re proud of them for chasing the dreams for which they strive.

AF always kept me informed during COVID. They sent us letters, emails, and notifications on their app. They also sent parents surveys to get our thoughts about their remote learning plans and reassured us computers were available for students to use at home. Their system for moving to remote learning was excellent because they did not keep us in the dark and made sure we knew everything that was going on. — Devonne Parent, AF Crown Heights Elementary

Anila and her mom

When Anila needs to remember how capable she is, she just thinks back to her eighth-grade graduation. She was named the valedictorian of her graduating class, and she had only a couple of days to write her farewell speech, complete her last school assignments, attend the end-of-year class field trip, and prepare for the eighthgrade prom. It was a lot to juggle, but she managed to do it all successfully. The speech was a hit with everyone—Anila’s classmates, teachers, and family praised her heartwarming and inspiring message. She finished her assignments and had fun dancing the night away with her friends at prom.

Anila’s ability to manage all of her responsibilities isn’t a surprise to anyone who knows her. She is an intelligent, kind, and hard-working student—and those qualities shine throughout everything she does. Her guiding philosophy is not to try to be perfect and to see the goodness in everything.

She is also passionate about mental health and advocacy. She’s an active member of her school’s youth advocacy group, where she’s led several presentations and panels on diverse topics, including anti-gun violence, autism awareness, prison reform, and female empowerment. She’s a shoulder to lean on for others, and she finds it rewarding and gratifying to listen and offer guidance to her peers.

After high school, Anila plans to follow her joy and attend college to become a therapist with the hope of changing the perception of what it means to live with a mental illness and be a source of support for those seeking help.

Anila

12TH GRADE at aF BROOKLYN HIGH

EMBRACE CHALLENGE

When the pandemic changed life as we knew it in March 2020, we rapidly launched into ensuring every child had access to a laptop and to moving our high-quality school experience online. This was only the beginning.

As our New York students were remote for the duration of the 2020-21 school year, and our Connecticut and Rhode Island students were able to begin hybrid learning during the course of the year, we made school work in the circumstances before us. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute highlighted AF for recreating the structure of the regular school day—complete with 5+ hours of live instruction—online. We ensured that the feeling of school, both the academics and the sense of community, continued to live in a remote environment. And, when we brought our schools back together in fall 2021, we worked together to ensure our students’ needs were addressed so they can best learn and grow. And we continue to do so, every day.

Our communities were among the hardest hit by coronavirus both medically and economically. We know the challenges we will face in the return to inperson school have only just begun. And, we’ll be ready to embrace the challenges that will come—it’s who we are and what we do.

My teacher and I practice reading until I get better, and that makes me feel good. She also makes school fun—she sings songs to get us excited about learning math and reading time. — Daniel AF Linden Elementary, 3rd Grade