Juliana Pierre – Graduate, Class of 2022

“Now I realize how important college is.”

My dad was against me coming to SEED. I’d never even had a sleepover with anybody my family didn’t know, so me staying away from home all week long, even to go to school, wasn’t something he was on board with. My mom was all for it. The neighborhood we were living in wasn’t that great, and she wanted better for me. She knew this would be a good opportunity. Once I was at SEED and my dad saw how well I was doing, he came around. 

... it would be cool to have everything together in one place, and things that bigger schools have, like athletic fields and spaces for extracurricular activities and special classes. At SEED, I’m never alone. 

I’m pretty sure most kids in middle school aren’t thinking about college. To be honest, I wasn’t either. It wasn’t until I got to the eighth or ninth grade that I was like, Oh, my gosh – I need to know more about college. And all the things we’d been taught about it up to that point just clicked. Now I realize how important college is, and with the foundation SEED’s given me means I’ll do better when I get there. 

Jalahn Hudson – Student

“When the staff says they have your back, they really mean it.”

Two of my older brothers go to school here, but I wasn’t sure that I wanted to. I thought SEED students had to do everything by themselves. Then I came here and found out that wasn’t true. Everyone helps you out and makes you feel comfortable. It’s like a family. 

I’m in the sixth grade and this is my first year. It’s a long day and a busy schedule. Classes aren’t that hard so far, except for history, but my teachers will help me if I need it. When the staff says they care about you and have your back, they really mean it. I see it everywhere. 

One reason I did want to come to SEED was that I knew I’d get a better education here, and that’s important because I want to go to college. I’d like to be a software game developer. I want to go to Yale. You also learn about stuff like goals and core values, and about respecting other people and problem-solving. 

I hope we get a new campus soon. 

Jahmarley Vivens – graduate, class of 2022

“The staff here really cares; they’re like our parents.”

I’m a musician; I thought I was gonna go to a magnet school. Then my mom started talking about SEED. It wasn’t a music school, but it would get me ready for college. And I’ll be the first person in my family to go. 

The staff here really cares about us, they’re like our parents. Me, I never had a father figure, so going to SEED and having all these male role models is good. Whenever I have a situation I know I can go to someone and talk about it, I don’t have to hold it in. Every student here knows that too.

We have electives, and I’ve dabbled in whatever music stuff that I could since I’ve been here. Guitars Over Guns did a yearlong program last year, and this year we have the Rara Institute. That’s a type of music that’s part of Haitian culture. I’m Haitian, and when I was a child it was explained to me that rara is a way to celebrate our ancestors and say thank you for bringing us to the place we are today. I’m thankful that I’m here.

There’s really bad gun violence in my neighborhood, and I feel like if I wasn’t at SEED I’d be involved in things I shouldn’t be. I think I’d be getting into trouble. But being here all week helps a lot, it keeps me in the right mindset. 

Kiaira Muhammad – COLLEGE SUCCESS ADVISOR

“SEED has the ability to change someone’s life.”

Academically and socially, SEED has the ability to change someone’s life. And the more children we are able to serve, the better their circumstances and the stronger our communities will be. 

By the time our students graduate they’ll have been exposed to many different things and gained an enormous amount of knowledge. They’ll understand what college majors and minors are, how their transcript and credits will allow them to navigate their higher education experience, and what classes will look like once they get there. And the lessons they’ll leave with won’t just be about college, they’ll be about life. 

Our HALLS programming – or Habits for Achieving Lifelong Success – is an extremely important component of the SEED approach. You can be as book smart as you want to be, but without understanding how the world works you won’t be successful or fulfilled. With HALLS, we teach our students respect for self and others; acceptance, inclusion and diversity; collaboration and conflict resolution; and other critical practices. When they move on from us to the next stage of their lives, they’ll be ready for it. 

The renovations mean so much to all of us. Establishing a genuine campus for our students will enhance their educational environment and provide a space that’s theirs alone, something they’ve been waiting for for a long time. A consistent, calm and peaceful residential setting will help us facilitate students’ achievement at school, and safeguard and foster their emotional well-being. 

Sharia & Lakyra Fance – Mom & graduate, class of 2021

“People say it takes a village to raise a child, and SEED is my village.”

I wanted to go to SEED as soon as I heard about it. I thought it would be fun and interesting and something most people would never get to experience.

Lakyra came home one day and said, ‘Mom, there’s this new school I want to go to and all my friends are gonna go, too.’ And I read the papers and I said, “This is a boarding school – do you know what that means? Girl, you are not going.’ But she really wanted to. So I talked to the people at SEED, learned more about it and decided to fill out the application. There was a lottery to get in, and Lakyra’s was the second-to-last name called. 

Before SEED, college wasn’t even on my mind, but now it’s all I think about. I’m looking forward to it, to not just help myself get to where I want to be and what I want to do in the future, but to make my family, my teachers and my counselors proud. 

People say it takes a village to raise a child, and SEED is my village. I feel so blessed to have the staff. They care so much about Lakyra; they really are like family. 

The new buildings and facilities will help me grow by making me feel like I’m on an actual campus, experiencing that lifestyle and being more independent. Being at SEED makes me feel like I can do anything on my own, and that I’m ready to go to college.

Lakyra has matured so much since coming to SEED. I am super so proud of her.

Hayana Velazquez – Student

“The things I’m learning at SEED will help me throughout my future.”

I first heard about SEED when Mr. Lewis came to my elementary school to talk to all the fifth graders about it. As soon as I heard the words ‘college prep boarding school’ I said to myself, this is my time, this is my chance. When I went home I told my mom about the school and that I wanted to go. She thought about it, and I guess her thinking told her yes, because here I am. 

I have three roommates. Our room has a really calm and chill vibe. We sleep in bunk beds and share one table where we sit to do our homework. I keep pictures of my family by my bed so I can remember why I’m here, why I want to go to college. I want my family to be proud of me. 

The things I’m learning at SEED will help me throughout my future and in my career. I want to be a psychologist; I feel like I understand people and can give them good advice and help them figure out their lives. Going to SEED means you have a better chance of being who you want to be. The learning is similar to what you study in public school, but the way the teachers teach here is different. It makes you want to learn. 

Vaughn Harris Jr. – graduate, class of 2021

“SEED has turned my whole life around.”

Going to college isn’t something you see people doing where I come from, but I knew that getting an education meant seeing things I’d never get the chance to see at home. When I found out about SEED I was desperate to go. I was only in the fifth grade but I told my mom, “I’m ready; I’m going.” 

My academics weren’t as strong as they are now when I started here. My old school had a different curriculum and different lessons. It took some adjusting to figure things out, but the teachers and staff at SEED gave me the time I needed to study and kept me on track with my work. I used to think that school was a punishment. This place has really turned my whole life around.

SEED has motivated me to do well and pulled me away from the things I saw in my neighborhood, like people getting hurt and kids being pressured to do things they shouldn’t. It’s taken me from being a follower to being a leader. I’m in the 11th grade, part of the founding class of 2021, and I know the middle school students look up to me. I take that seriously. 

I hope I get to see construction start on the new facilities while I’m still here, but if not, I want the kids coming up behind me to have them. With dorms and academic buildings and athletic fields, going to SEED will be even more like going to college. 

Derik Washington – senior Director of campus life

“The kids know they always have people they can go to for help.”

Our mission at SEED is to prepare students for success in college and beyond, and our residential model gives us additional time with them to make that happen. Because of it we can provide enriched programming beyond the standard academic day and expose them to opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have. That broadens their horizons and encourages them to set bigger goals for themselves. I love hearing their feedback after visiting special places or meeting with people in the community. “I want to do that,” or “I’m going to be this.” Being a witness to that is powerful. 

The entire staff across every department – including student life counselors, overnight residential advisors, registered nurses and licensed mental health counselors – together provide holistic support services for students outside the classroom. That’s important because they’re living here with us five days a week. The kids know they always have people they can go to for help, whatever that may be and whenever they need it. 

College is everywhere at SEED. Before students even start 5th grade they go through a weeklong orientation and during that time we schedule college tours. So at 11 years old they’ve already set foot on a university campus and have had that experience. We do a lot of things to focus on college prep; it’s built into our curriculum. 

The renovations and new dorm facility – finally, a place to call home. They’ll give students more time and space to do the things they need to do and want to do, and a schedule that’s more flexible. It’s going to change everything and I’m looking forward to it.