This blog post is part of our celebration of charter school graduates across the country and their achievements. Join us in celebrating our #CharterGrads!
I arrived at Star International Academy (SIA) as a new student in 6th grade and will graduate after spending all of my middle and high school years here.
My family chose SIA after hearing about it from friends. They loved multiple things about the school including the location, the Arabic language program, and the smaller class sizes compared to the district school I came from. My parents wanted me to feel comfortable in my own skin and felt that SIA had a bully-free environment.
SIA has helped shape me into a college-ready student. For the last three years, I was able to take multiple Advanced Placement courses with incredible instructors. SIA has also provided students with the opportunity to take classes at a local college, and this has opened even more doors. I have earned college credit while in high school and have learned beyond the textbook.
Through the many sports and extracurriculars, students have the chance to enrich their learning. Supplementing my education is my involvement with the National Honor Society, yearbook committee, student council, and others. I have been a part of the FIRST Robotics team since its inception in my freshman year and have grown with the program. Through FIRST, I have not only learned how to program and build, I have learned leadership and teamwork skills.
I also received scholarships for college. Because of the teachers and programs at SIA, I am a more well-rounded individual with broader goals and a clear path to the future.
Next year, I will be a freshman at Wayne State University in Detroit. I will be a biological sciences major on a pre-med route, as well as a member of the Honors College. My career goals include becoming a physician one day, working in either a hospital or clinical setting. I also plan to provide aid in humanitarian causes and use my resources to help the less fortunate.
The advice I would give any family looking at a charter school for their child is:while numbers and statistics are significant parts of your search, your child is even more important. My parents valued one-on-one support for all of their children, along with SAT/ACT test preparation, and a rigorous curriculum, which is why they chose SIA for their kids.
No student at SIA flies under the radar. Every person’s name and face is known by the principal and all staff. My parents really desired a close relationship between students and faculty so they valuved this relationship.
SIA is a well-rounded school that deeply values parent and student input always growing and improving as an institution. Families should consider charter schools as alternative to district schools because of the differences in what each establishment offers.
Sabrina Khan is a 2019 graduate of the Star International Academy in Dearborn Heights, Mich. In the fall she will begin classes at Wayne State University.
[Click to Tweet] Graduate of @StarIntAcademy Sabrina Khan reflects back on her last seven years with the charter school as she prepares to head to @waynestate #CharterGrads
