All Seniors at Two San Jose High Schools Graduate College Ready

Every student graduating from two San Jose high schools--Summit Tahoma and Summit Rainier--are graduating college ready, which is double the average of their peers within Santa Clara County.

In California, high school graduates are considered college ready if they have completed a collection of courses as designated by the University of California and California State College System. In Santa Clara County, only one of every two high school graduates meets this requirement. The achievement level drops to one in three when looking at Hispanic students graduating in Santa Clara County. At both Summit Tahoma and Summit Rainier, where about half of students are Hispanic, all students graduated meeting these requirements.

“At Summit, we believe that every student should be equipped to lead a fulfilled life. Nowhere is the opportunity for a fulfilled life more pronounced than in college and career readiness,” said Summit Public Schools Superintendent Anson Jackson. “By preparing our students not only academically but to know themselves, we have empowered them to choose a fulfilled and purposeful life. We’re eager to see how our students will impact and improve our communities.”

Christine Nguyen, who is graduating from Summit Tahoma, will attend the University of Southern California to study biochemistry. Her interest in science was furthered through her role as a teacher assistant at Summit.

Jordan Franco-Lee, who is graduating from Summit Rainier, will attend the University of California, Davis to double major in design and business and pursue a career in interior design.

“Summit helped me reach my goals by teaching me to not be afraid to fail,” said Franco-Lee. “I am always so concentrated on being perfect. Summit showed me that I can be vulnerable and make mistakes and still reach my goals. I am forever grateful for all the support I received from Summit and my entire experience.”

Summit’s innovative project-based learning model allows students to engage in deeper learning and infuse their interests into their education, helping them to develop the habits and skills that lead to academic and personal success, including college acceptance. This year, Summit seniors have been accepted to some of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the country, including Stanford University, Duke University, Boston University, University of California, Los Angeles and University of California, Berkeley.

Tahoma and Rainier, which are part of Summit Public Schools, were recently ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Summit Public Schools has prepared every graduating student, since its first graduating class in 2007 to this year’s graduates, for college. This month, it celebrates about 500 graduates from seven schools across two states. Summit alumni are twice as likely to complete college as their peers.

To learn more about Summit Tahoma or Summit Rainier, please visit http://summitps.org/