This week at the XQ Institute "Future of High School" event in Columbus, Alicia, a Metro graduating senior, shared her powerful story with a roundtable of Ohio leaders, including Director Steve Dackin of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Development and Wesley Hall from Battelle.
Education experts and state leaders met at Columbus State Community College to discuss changes needed in Ohio high schools to better prepare students for the jobs of the future. Attendees talked about the gap between today’s advances in technology and school systems that remain bound to practices from the past. Among the ideas discussed were ways to provide access to real-world work experience to high school students.
Alicia opened the meeting by sharing her journey from Columbus' west side to Metro Schools. She compared her accomplishments at Metro to a similar student in her neighborhood who did not receive the same opportunities afforded to her in an early-college STEM program.
“I had a mother who would not let my zip code define my education,” Alicia said. "At Metro, we are able to enroll in early college pathways that provide us with tremendous opportunities to work within professional fields, and we are able to work outside of our classrooms.”
Alicia will enroll at The Ohio State University this fall with a full 40 credits completed, thanks to the early college program and mastery learning at Metro. And her story is not unique - many of her classmates will walk across the stage steps ahead in their college and career plans, thanks to Metro's pathways programing.
Attendees at the conference said they wanted Alicia's story to be the rule, not the exception, through collaborations from state leaders and community buy-in. At Metro, we are grateful to the many community and business partners who make learning come to life as they mentor students in their field of interest.