The energy was electric on Friday, August 14, as 40 DC public charter school students stepped across the stage to officially claim their high school diplomas.
Rewriting your educational trajectory takes extraordinary grit. Every student recognized at the ceremony faced personal or academic hurdles and chose persistence over giving up.
“I wasn’t motivated. I was going to school late and not even doing my work,” shared Cordell, a scholar from Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS. “Waking up and having people on my team and in my corner supporting me really made me motivated to do everything I needed to graduate.”
That hard work culminated in an emotional milestone for families in attendance. “When he was walking across the stage, I just felt ecstatic—I couldn’t hold my feelings in,” said Cordell’s grandmother, Tawanda. “I’m just so proud of my grandson.”
Before students walked across the stage, Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS scholar, Jameer, left everyone with a message to remember during his speech to the 2026 summer graduates.
“When life knocks you down, don’t mistake falling for failure. Get back up, take the next step, and take another one. As long as you’re still here and breathing, the story isn’t over.”
This year's graduates represented nine DC public charter schools:
- Capital City PCS
- E.L. Haynes PCS
- Friendship Collegiate Academy PCS
- IDEA PCS
- KIPP DC - College Preparatory PCS
- KIPP DC - Legacy College Preparatory PCS
- The SEED PCS of Washington DC
- Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS
- Washington Leadership Academy PCS
If you missed the live commencement, head over to the DC PCSB YouTube channel to watch these scholars walk the stage and fulfill the promises they made to themselves. Also, view the program which includes each student’s name. For behind-the-scenes interviews highlighting their personal journeys, challenges, and aspirations, visit our Instagram page.
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- LinkedIn: DC Public Charter School Board