The SEED School, Maryland’s first and only public, college-preparatory boarding school for underserved and highly motivated students, announces their “SEEDs of Spring” 2021 Virtual Senior Celebration, an annual fundraiser, set to take place on Friday, May 7, 2021 beginning at 9 a.m. via Vimeo link. The pre-recorded event will feature a video “story” that will highlight a senior, a teacher and a student life counselor, showcasing the unique education SEED provides to students. It will also feature two seniors as emcees, an address from Head of School Kirk Sykes and an address from Tuck Burch, Chairman of the Board for SEED. In all, 26 students will graduate from the innovative school and many will be going to various colleges and universities throughout the United States including Howard University and North Carolina A&T.
Presenting sponsor for “SEEDs of Spring” is Whiting Turner; Lead Sponsor is Allstate and program sponsor is Salesforce.
“We are super proud of our graduates who have overcome so many obstacles and challenges to get to this special day. They should be proud of themselves as they venture out into the world and continue their education and careers,” said Kirk Sykes, Head of School.
And, while the event is being held virtually with guests and supporters joining online, there will also be a live component for SEED seniors on campus: a special breakfast made to order by SEED’s beloved Chef Kevin. The Class of 2021 will also receive customized SEED swag handmade in the newly built SEED Cyber Lab.
“What a great time for a celebration as these students forge ahead to make a way for themselves. For some of these students they have not only faced the difficulties of navigating the pandemic but some have faced challenges beyond the classroom. These students, along with their teachers, counselors and supporters have shown tremendous persistence, allowing them to succeed and now graduate and go to college,” said Tuck Burch, Chairman of the Board of Directors, SEED School of Maryland.”
There are impressive statistics that have come out of this senior class and they are worth sharing. There were 22 students who completed over 294 applications to 112 different colleges and universities nationwide and 21 seniors received over 116 acceptances from 59 colleges and universities. Acceptances include notable universities such as George Washington University, University of Maryland, Virginia Tech, Howard University, Spelman College, Bucknell University, North Carolina A&T and LSU, among others. The senior class has been offered more than $1 million in renewable scholarships and grants and seven seniors have been awarded the SEED Foundation Scholarship.
** While all the students have worked hard to graduate and find ways to move forward, there is a local Baltimore senior, Bayron Mambreno who has been accepted to all ten schools he applied to including UMBC, Bucknell, Loyola and the University of Maryland College Park, among others. He has received over $290,000 in scholarships and grants including the Bucknell Bauer Scholarship and he is also a SEED Scholarship recipient.
The SEED School of Maryland (SEED Maryland) is Maryland’s first and only public, college-preparatory boarding school, offering an extraordinary learning and living experience in preparation for college and beyond. SEED Maryland is located in Southwest Baltimore and serves students who could most benefit from a 24-hour learning environment. SEED Maryland opened in 2008 and graduated its first class in 2015. It currently serves 400 students in grades 6 through 12. For more information, go to https://www.seedschoolmd.org/.
