Unity’s inaugural class: 99% graduation rate, 90% college-bound!

Dear friends, families, community members, and supporters of Unity,

I hope that the summer has been especially gracious to you and your loved ones.

This past June, Unity celebrated the graduation of its founding class – the Great Class of 2020. The virtual ceremony was a grand milestone for our students, families, and for our young school. Most of our graduates first entered Unity in 6th grade in 2013. One of the highlights of the ceremony for me was taking in the heartfelt congratulatory notes from graduates’ families to conclude the festivities.

I am pleased to share that 99% of our seniors have successfully earned their high school diploma. Moreover, 100% of our graduates have concrete career and college plans as they transition from Unity. This includes approximately 90% of our graduates matriculating to two- or four-year colleges such as Vassar College, CUNY Baruch College, CUNY Hunter College, Ithaca College, SUNY Purchase College, Howard University, Dickinson, and Guttman Community College.

With the city’s overall graduation rate hovering at 77% over the past several years and a citywide college matriculation rate that is significantly lower than that, we are extremely proud of what our students have accomplished alongside our families, staff, and supporters. Through our persistent and collective efforts, we have created opportunities that may not have otherwise been possible for our students. We now look forward to building on our experiences with our first graduating class to best serve our students who will soon follow in their footsteps.

Our graduates, many of whom will be first-generation college students, are preparing for their first semester of college in especially uncertain times. This uncertainty creates additional challenges that jeopardize their college and career opportunities. Recent challenges confronting our students and families have been overwhelming and largely financial, as family members have been laid off from work and/or have experienced increased demands on their time to care for loved ones young and old.

To best support our students and families in overcoming these challenges, Unity’s college counselors have initiated a support fund that directly helps students and families cover deposits, textbooks, technology, transportation, and other costs associated with their first semester. Through our counselors’ grassroots efforts, we reached our initial goal of $30,000 – and are now revising our goal to $50,000 to better provide assistance for our graduates during these challenging times. I kindly request that you support this critical cause by visiting the support fund webpage and making a donation.

Given the uncertainty of the times, your support is critical to our students’ success. On behalf of our school community, including our newest group of stakeholders – our alumni – I thank you for your continued support as we prepare to offer the very best possible educational experience to our students.

As a final note, a recent article in The New Yorker featured three of our high school students and the ways in which the pandemic has deeply affected their lives. In reading the article, I now have an even deeper admiration for these students and for all of the young people and families we serve. Enjoy the read and continue to be proud of the important work you do in supporting our school and our students.

In Unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School