Some students overcame tremendous obstacles. Some hold jobs to support their families, endure the death of a parent or experience a divorce. Some have no family; others have no home.

The class of 2009 includes students from around the world, including Eritrea, Jamaica and Peru.

Many are going to college. A survey of last year’s graduates revealed that four in five planned to enroll in a four-year college, a community college or a trade school. Just under 2 percent planned to join the military.

The class of 2009 is compassionate. A Lincoln High School student created a fundraiser for LifeStraws, a water purifier that resembles a straw, for those in need of cleaner water. Another student raised a dog for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Magdalene Jenne of Metropolitan Learning Center created educational videos about AIDS.

Students have matured during high school — but not too much. Roosevelt Campus Principal Deborah Peterson describes the Roosevelt class of 2009: “They started as young, playful, mischievous ninth-graders who we found hiding and running around all corners of our building. They still are playful and mischievous, and are absolutely sweet and loving when we have to have the hard conversation about a choice they've made. But they have also found a way to be focused.”

Many students won scholarships. Four earned Gates Millennium Scholarships, which cover unmet financial needs through graduate school; seven were named National Merit Scholarship winners, providing them up to $10,000 per year toward college. The Coca-Cola Scholars Program awarded a Grant High School student a $10,000 scholarship, and the Dell Scholars Program is providing $20,000 to a Franklin High School student. Two Benson students won full-ride athletic scholarships.

The class of 2009 is creative. They make zines — low-circulation, self-published magazines — create movies and play music. A small group of Franklin students formed Seacow Studios, according to their Web site an “online video-making powerhouse.” Grant Richards of Cleveland High School specializes in jazz piano — performing publicly at venues in Portland — and is attending the Berklee College of Music. Other students are pursuing music degrees in cello, French horn and clarinet.

The class of 2009 is, ultimately, the future — and it’s looking bright.

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The 2009 graduation schedule:

School	Date	Graduation time	Venue
Alliance	Wednesday, June 3rd (Marshall Night)	7:00 p.m.	Marshall Auditorium
	Thursday, June 4 (FOCUS)	1:00 p.m.	Madison Auditorium
	Thursday, June 4 (Portland Night HS)	7:00 p.m.	Benson Auditorium
	Friday, June 5 (Meek)	7:00 p.m.	Meek Auditorium
Marshall	Thursday, June 4 (Renaissance Arts)	6:00 p.m.	Marshall Gymnasium
	Friday, June 5 (Biz-Tech)	6:00 p.m.	Marshall Gymnasium
	Friday, June 5 (Pauling)	6:00 p.m.	Marshall Auditorium
MLC	Saturday, June 6	2:00 p.m.	Chapman
Jefferson	Sunday, June 7	3:00 p.m.	Memorial Coliseum
Cleveland	Sunday, June 7	7:00 p.m.	Memorial Coliseum
Madison	Monday, June 8	6:00 p.m.	Memorial Coliseum
Grant	Monday, June 8	8:00 p.m.	Memorial Coliseum
Roosevelt	Tuesday, June 9	6:00 p.m.	Memorial Coliseum
Franklin	Tuesday, June 9	6:00 p.m.	Franklin Stadium
Wilson	Tuesday, June 9	8:00 p.m.	Memorial Coliseum
Benson	Wednesday, June 10	6:00 p.m.	Memorial Coliseum
Lincoln	Wednesday, June 10	8:00 p.m.	Memorial Coliseum

 

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Brittnie MarcellBrittnie Marcell grew up across the street from Jefferson High School. She’s made the Demos proud as a National Honor Society member, a Jefferson Dancer and valedictorian. She also mentors at Self Enhancement Inc. and Jefferson. She’ll attend the University of Southern California to study business and dance. But then she’ll be back. She wants to found a performance art charter school in North Portland. “We need something right here,” she says.
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Jia “Lynn” LuiJia “Lynn” Lui of Renaissance Arts Academy on the Marshall Campus helped care for her younger sister while her parents worked after the family emigrated from a tiny Chinese village. Counselor Erin Hale calls her the “most diligent, self-reliant and conscientious student” in her senior class, taking college prep courses while working as many as 30 hours a week. Lynn will attend PSU in business and also study art. “Because of school,” she says, “I learned that if I open up to people, they’ll open up to me.” [Full story]

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Fatuma MohamedFatuma Mohamed of Cleveland High School saw much suffering during her childhood in Kenyan refugee camps after her family fled Somalia. Now she wants to be a pediatric nurse. Cleveland “was a great opportunity,” she says, crediting her ESL teachers with providing support. A Venture Scholars School-To-Career Scholarship will fund Fatuma’s education at PCC this fall, where she’ll study for an associate of arts degree in nursing.
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Alden Harris-McCoyAlden Harris-McCoy of Lincoln High School is an accomplished jazz guitarist who led his classmates in organizing Curbstock, a 2008 benefit for PPS with18 bands. His Curbside Market food cart outside Lincoln High was so successful he considered franchising. He’ll study music at New York University. His goal: “to be in a place where people are passionate about what they’re doing, be around people who are taking care of business.”
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Anthea VangIn her sophomore year, Anthea Vang couldn’t quite get on the same page with her math teacher. But the resulting B grade was a minor blip for this valedictorian with a 3.95 GPA at Arts, Communication and Technology Academy on the Roosevelt Campus. Anthea, inspired in part by her arts education at ACT, plans a career in fashion with an eye toward the bargain shopper. She’ll study apparel design with a minor in business at Oregon State University.
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Carmen Chavez“I love the atmosphere here,” says Carmen Chavez of her soon-to-be alma mater, Madison High School. “It’s so accepting of everyone. And I got to develop strong relationships with all my teachers. They’re always thinking about ways to challenge the students.” Carmen, a valedictorian, will study engineering with a Presidential Scholarship at the University of San Diego. But she won’t forget her time at Madison.
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Berenise Delgado“Not wanting to fail has made me push harder,” says Berenise Delgado of Spanish English International School on the Roosevelt Campus. Her mom and an older sister, who didn’t finish high school, encouraged her to go far. She played volleyball for Roosevelt for four years while taking AP courses and excelling in math and science. Now she’s considering psychology and engineering as well as pre-medicine as majors at Oregon State University. “I’m superexcited,” she says.
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Allison Einolf“When I’m not challenged, I don’t do any work,” says Allison Einolf of Cleveland High School. “Challenge is a huge motivator for me.” Allison is a full IB candidate, a National Merit Scholar and one of Cleveland’s valedictorians. She is headed to Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., where she’ll use two scholarships to study physics, with an eye toward alternative energy resources and environmental applications.
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Danny DanciuTeachers and counselors pushed Danny Danciu to find opportunities at Madison High School and run with them — literally. As track captain this year, Danny made it to state finals for the third year in a row and also competed at state in soccer. He’s been a student journalist and ESL tutor. He’s also a valedictorian. Danny will use two scholarships to attend either Concordia College or PSU, and is interested in pediatrics or child psychiatry. He says, “Madison High School helped form me into the person I am.”
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Luna TesfagiorghisLuna Tesfagiorghis of Benson Polytechnic High School became interested in medicine while accompanying her grandfather to the only medical facility within miles of her childhood home in Eritrea. She credits Benson for exposing her to experiences in medicine, including helping her become a certified nurse assistant. She will continue her health care education at Western Oregon University this fall.
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Stephanie JohnsonStephanie Johnson started at Grant High School three years ago with no formal education. Raised in a reclusive family, she didn’t learn to read until age 13. She enrolled at Grant as a 17-year-old sophomore. Faculty support and her own determination got her to graduation. Now she’ll study accounting at PSU. “I’ve accepted where I came from,” Stephanie says. “As long as I try harder, I can make a better place for myself.”
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Josh Hood-MarvinJosh Hood-Marvin “got a feel for school” when he found Meek Pro-Tech High School. He lived with other Klamath and Modoc tribe members in Southern Oregon until he was 5. But his dad died and his mom struggled after they moved to Portland. His grandparents stepped in. At Meek, Josh blossomed as an artist, improved his grades and nurtured his deep reverence for the Earth. He plans to attend PCC and then pursue degrees in art. In May, he visited his home in Chiloquin for the first time in 10 years. “You left as a boy for the city,” the elders told him. “You returned to us as a man.”
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Christina Armstrong“Awesome teachers” and a “warm friendly vibe” endeared Christina Armstrong to the Linus Pauling Academy on the Marshall Campus. This year’s student body president, she’s graduating as a junior. A Diversity Enrichment Scholarship gives her a full ride at PSU. Outside school, she, her father and brother co-founded Johnny and Tina’s Reptile Rescue, starting with two iguanas — Godzilla and Madonna. She hopes one day to teach English at a small urban high school like Linus Pauling. “That’s where I grew up, that’s what I relate to,” she says. “That’s what I want to give back to the community.”
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Vinnie SpillmanVinnie Spillman exudes confidence, but when this POWER Academy senior on the Roosevelt Campus learned he’d be a Gates Millennium Scholar, he was stunned. “It doesn’t happen to people from St. Johns,” he says. An accomplished athlete and high-performer at the Pursuit of Wellness Education Academy, he plans to build on his hip-hop talents — evident when his band Turf Noize plays around town. This fall he starts at Chicago’s Columbia College, one of the top music business schools in the country.
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Nirvana FairbanksNirvana Fairbanks received and provided a good education at Metropolitan Learning Center. In second grade at MLC, she explained her cerebral palsy to classmates who didn’t understand why she got around by crawling. Now she’s graduating. “When people have disabilities, there are things they feel they have to do to prove themselves,” she says. “Learning how to write was kind of hard. I had to get good at it.” She plans to become a writer, eventually continuing her education at PCC.
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Jill SchmidtShy and nervous heading into her freshman year at Wilson High School, Jill Schmidt emerges a strong student who gives back to the community. She built homes for poor families in Mexico, helped organize a prom for students with special needs, planned holiday parties for a battered women’s shelter and raised money for schools in Uganda. “Jill is powered by a strong moral compass, effective leadership skills, a probing intellectual curiosity, a fantastic work ethic and a bold sense of her own personal agency,” says Wilson counselor Kathryn Wolff. Jill will attend the University of Oregon.
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Thuan VuongThuan Vuong of Benson Polytechnic High School left her native Vietnam and rose to become vice president of Benson’s National Honor Society, captain of the Color Guard, a member of MESA (Math Engineering Science Achievement) Club and a Gates Millennium Scholar through sheer determination and hard work. She plans a career in clinical research and will enroll at the University of Washington in the fall.
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Taylor MaherRonnie McKenna and Taylor Maher are longtime buddies and fellow standouts at Biz Tech High School on the Marshall Campus. Taylor, an avid football player, won two district wrestling titles. He received an Education First scholarship and will attend night classes in business at Clackamas Community College, focused on construction.

Ronnie McKennaRonnie blossomed from a shy freshman to take a leadership class and become co-president of Raising Students’ Voices and Participation, which helped convince the state to add a crosswalk near the school. He will learn motorcycle repair at the University Technical Institute in Phoenix and wants to start his own business.

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Sheila HeathSheila Heath is Renaissance Arts Academy’s first Gates Millennium scholar. Born to parents ill-equipped to raise her, Sheila moved to Portland at age 12 to live with her sister and brother-in-law. With their support, she excelled in AP classes and developed interests in dance and visual art. She was accepted at numerous colleges and chose Columbia University. She praises her RA2 experience. “The smaller size… helps people to stay connected. I found that I can connect with people even if they’re very different from me.”

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Meaghan upheld a rigorous music schedule, Aria participated in the Reed Young Scholars Program, and the four other students met the standards of the Franklin Advanced Scholar Program. “To be in the program, students have to take at least three Advanced Placement classes during their high school career, meet with their mentor teacher once a month, and attend after-school workshops,” says English teacher Susie Bartley, who oversees the Advanced Scholar Program with AP Chinese teacher Marilyn Mi.

The students groan as they recall just how tough Bartley’s class was, but they’re the first to admit that all the hard work has paid off.

“I used to be really timid,” Daniel says. “No, really,” he insists, as a few disbelieving snorts erupt from his classmates. “But there were these two kids who just forced me to do things with them, even though I made it clear I didn’t want to. They went out of their way to get me to do stuff, like lion dancing, where you’re performing in public. That really built my confidence.”

“And you drummed at the multicultural assembly just last week,” puts in Trevor. “In front of the whole school.”

“Yeah, and I never would have had the confidence to do that before. People at school, you see them all the time and they’ll let you know if you mess up,” Daniel responds.

Off to New York

Khalilha moved to Portland when she was 8; her parents were Peace Corps workers who met in Jamaica. She is a member of the Franklin Leadership team and was part of Franklin’s soccer and track teams. With acceptance letters from UC Berkeley and UCLA, Columbia University and the University of Portland, she settled on Columbia, where she is planning to study environmental engineering with a focus on water resource management. She’s also looking forward to a program that will provide her with free tickets to speaker events and Broadway shows.

“The biggest thing I learned here at Franklin,” she says, “is to try new things. And especially to try stuff before you say you don’t like it!”

All of these students know about trying new stuff. For some, they’re the first of their siblings to get through high school without dropping out. For others, they’re the first to grow up in the U.S. and the first to go to college.

Joselio’s family moved to Portland when his father won a U.S. visa lottery; Jose was 9 years old. In Peru, he played soccer almost every single day. In Portland, he played for private clubs and then for Franklin for four years.

“I’m going to try out for the soccer team at the University of Portland,” Jose says. “My brother goes there, too, and I’ve convinced him to try out for the team.” His close relationship with his family helped him decide to stay in town, instead of heading to Atlanta, where he was accepted at Emory University. He’ll study electrical engineering at UP.

Also staying in town is Aria, who will attend Reed College. In addition to classes there, she took numerous AP classes at Franklin including advanced French, in which she earned Portland State University credit. She also created her own zine workshops.

Kudos to teachers

Meghan was accepted at the College of Wooster, and Knox, Macalester, Beloit, Occidental, Willamette and Whitman colleges, she’s a talented clarinet player who plans to minor in music at Whitman.

“Most of my teachers here were pretty amazing,” she says. “I learned stuff even in classes I didn’t want to take, like AP Chemistry. The teachers seem to genuinely care about students and really want them to succeed.”

Asked why she won’t major in music, she replies with a clear-eyed view of her own talent and her plan for the future: “Music is incredibly competitive. There are so few full-time positions available, and I know I’m not really talented enough. I’ll always play, but I’m going to major in English — I might even teach high school English.”

All eyes swing to Susan Bartley. She smiles broadly and says, “Yes!” She goes on: “But even though these students are mostly headed for science and math careers, they know how important literature and writing are to a full life. They’ll keep reading good books after they leave here. They’re really well-rounded.” She nods toward Trevor. “Trevor is outstanding in math and science, but he’s also a gifted writer, and he really cares about class consciousness.”

Trevor grins. He was part of Reed College’s Young Scholars Program and a member of Franklin’s football team, and has been accepted at Harvard and Stanford universities and MIT. Harvard and MIT both offered him full scholarships, and after visiting the campuses, Trevor decided on MIT: “I just really liked the way it felt. It felt more like a family than Harvard … And I had a really good time there. They showed me all this crazy stuff, all these things they build for competitions.”

Trevor will major in chemical engineering, with an emphasis on renewable energy.

The students are asked: “If high school is just a stepping-stone, could you have accomplished what you accomplished here at just any high school?” All five of them blurt out, “No!” The guidance and support from the Franklin community has been critical to their success, they say.

And what about Daniel? He’s off to Oregon Institute of Technology, where, with the help of a scholarship, he plans to earn an engineering degree. Then he’ll do his part to change the world, working on global issues around water and energy.

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It takes a village to raise a child — and to help them with college financing. With help from their counselors, four students this year earned Gates Millennium Scholarships, which cover all unmet financial needs through graduate school. PPS recipients are Temesghan Habte of Madison High School, Sheila Heath of Renaissance Arts Academy at Marshall Campus, Vincent Spillman of Pursuit of Wellness Education at Roosevelt Academy and Thuan Vuong of Benson Polytechnic High School.

Six students won National Merit Scholarships. Depending on the type of scholarship, winners receive up to $10,000 toward each year of college. PPS recipients are Allison Einolf of Cleveland High School, Allyson McDonough of Grant High School and Melia Chase of Wilson High School. Also receiving scholarships are Ismael Padin-Dujon, Nathan Mathabane, Andrew Goldstein and Gabriel Mathews, all of Lincoln High School.

Other scholarship winners include Joseph Samuel Volpert of Grant High School, who won $10,000 for college from the Coca-Cola Scholars Program, and Carmen Li of Franklin High School, who won $20,000 for college through the Dell Scholars Program. Quinton Blanton and Alexandria Washington, both of Jefferson High School, received Horatio Alger scholarships, each for $5,000.

Athletic scholarship winners include Kamie Boggan, a volleyball player at Benson who is receiving a full ride scholarship to attend Jackson State University, and Kayla Smith, a Benson track athlete, who has a full ride to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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PPS leaders recognize that the range of class offerings and programs varies by high school as enrollment has declined at some schools and grown at others. District wide, dropout rates have been too high and regular attendance too low. To realign our schools and help all students feel more invested and excited about their education, PPS launched a major effort to redesign our high school system.

For more than a year, a team of PPS staff members has been analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of our high school system and developing ideas to improve it, based on student achievement and dropout prevention research.

The most powerful and informative aspect of this initiative, however, has been the community input — through surveys, small discussion groups and public meetings — of students, families, community leaders, teachers and administrators.

More than 400 people attended at least one of four community meetings in April and May to discuss three proposed high school models. Participants delved into the details and debated various approaches to strengthening our high schools. They told school district leaders in no uncertain terms that they expect equity among schools — in access to rigorous courses and expectations of students.

Community members debated three “big ideas”:

• Neighborhood schools with magnet schools.
• Special focus campuses with small academies in the ninth and 10th grades and career/interest pathways in 11th and 12th grades.
• A regional flex program through which students would choose from a large school, small theme school or alternative program and also do coursework online, at a community college or other locations.

Other themes that emerged striking a balance between neighborhood schools and citywide choice, avoiding one-size-fits-all designs, helping students feel connected to teachers and to their classes, diversity in the student body and adequate funding.

Now Superintendent Carole Smith is weighing all of the feedback and analyzing the ideas school district staff received. The superintendent is slated to announce the direction of our high school system by the end of June.

Superintendent Smith is expected to propose a framework that combines elements of the big ideas,” based on what the community values and what research has shown keeps students engaged and challenged.

“The true value of the dialogue we’ve had with the community has been in helping us think through what would work best not just for any high school system but for Portland’s high school system,” Smith says. “I am thrilled with the interest and commitment our families, staff and community leaders have shown to the future of our high schools and our city.”

Once Superintendent Smith proposes a framework, school district staff will spend the summer developing a detailed implementation plan that she will seek community feedback on early this fall.

Implementation of the high school redesign plan is expected to take from one to five years, with some portions of the plan (such as the construction of new high school buildings) taking several more years. The superintendent is committed to seeking parent and community input at each step along the way.

Read more about the high school redesign process.

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