25+ Years of Public, College-Prep Boarding and College Success
Since its founding in 1997, SEED has grown from a dream to a successful and thriving community devoted to creating pathways to, through, and beyond college. To highlight our impact over the last 25 years, we asked 25 members of the SEED community to tell their SEED stories. Read on to hear from students, graduates, families, donors, and staff about their SEED journey.
seed STUDENT STORIES
Elizabeth
SEED MD ‘29
SEED MD middle-schooler Elizabeth loves the opportunities SEED has provided her, from academic challenges to the chance to try different extracurricular activities. She knows she wants to go to college and that SEED will help her get there.
Aline
SEED LA ’26
Aline was drawn to SEED LA for the STEM curriculum and the college-preparatory focus. The member of SEED LA’s founding class appreciates the opportunities SEED offers, and the sense of community she feels.
Keyaundre
SEED Miami ‘23
SEED Foundation Scholarship winner Keyaundre will be the first in his family to graduate from college, and wants to get a degree in social work so he can help others.
Fadlulah
SEED MD ‘23
Fadlulah is always racing to the next challenge. By taking extra classes and dual enrollment courses, Fadlulah graduated SEED MD two years early—and was awarded the Meyerhoff Scholarship at University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Trinity
SEED DC ’23
At SEED, Trinity found an environment of caring adults who encouraged her to push herself beyond her comfort zone and help her grow as a person.
Hailey
SEED LA ‘26
SEED LA has been a brand-new educational experience for Hailey. Here, she says, teachers see her potential and believe in her.
seed GRADUATE STORIES
Tyrhee Moore
SEED DC ‘11
“SEED creates a place that can really build leaders in a special way,” says Tyrhee. The nonprofit founder and CEO uses the leadership skills he gained at SEED to uplift and strengthen his community.
Darian Tucker
SEED MD ‘22
Darian and his family chose SEED MD for its pathway to college. Along the way, Darian had the chance to try and see new things—like traveling abroad and performing on stage—that shaped his future goals.
Patrice Willis
SEED DC ‘06
Patrice’s has stayed connected with SEED since she was a seventh grader. Her career in education started as a resident advisor at SEED, and she continues to help students reach their potential today.
Myiah Smith
SEED DC ‘16
After graduating from Georgetown University and participating in Teach for America, SEED DC graduate Myiah joined the faculty of SEED MD, where she designs the kind of learning experiences outside the classroom that were so important to her during her time at SEED.
Balin Carey
SEED DC ‘12
Balin excelled both academically and socially in SEED MD’s 24-hour learning environment because he was surrounded by faculty and staff who were committed to his development as a whole person.
Dominique Perkins
SEED DC '11
“SEED helps you get out your comfort zone and helps you build and grow into the person that you will become in the future,” says Dominque. At SEED, Domique found the resources and support she needed to become the adventurous, compassionate, and successful woman she is today.
Ikeya January
SEED DC ’06
For Ikeya January, SEED was far more than a school. It was a community of people who believed in her and her future—and made her believe in herself.
Parry Elliott
SEED DC ‘10
Perry credits his time at SEED DC to showing him different options to shape his future. At SEED, Perry built the resources to persist through ups and down and to be successful in college and beyond.
SEED COMMUNITY STORIES
Antwain Coward
SEED DC ‘06
SEED DC graduate and SEED Foundation board member Antwain Coward is committed to bringing the opportunities he experienced at SEED to more students through his contributions to SEED.
Haise and her husband have been long-time supporters of SEED because they believe in the importance of SEED’s lifelong commitment to positive outcomes in our students’ lives.
SEED Foundation Board Member Rosalia G-H Miller is driven to advance SEED’s mission because she is inspired by the positive impact SEED’s educators have children’s lives every day.
“Twenty-five years later, I am still grateful for our SEED experience,” says Jackie Echevarria, mother of two SEED DC graduates. “My kids received a stellar education, graduated college, traveled, and met people from all over the world. Today they are both thriving.”
Michael Da’Costa, the proud mother of five SEED DC graduates, chose SEED for the positive environment and eye-opening experiences it offered. Her family remains close to the SEED community they joined so many years ago.
seed STAFF STORIES
Ebony Grant
The SEED Foundation
For Ebony, the foundation’s senior administrative support specialist, the work she does at SEED is valuable because she wants every student to have the benefits of the strong support system and educational opportunities she did growing up.
Michelle Williams
SEED DC
Michelle Williams, family engagement specialist at SEED DC, never thought a temporary job at SEED DC would last 20 years. Her work building connections with SEED families fosters a strong SEED DC community.
Vincent Carter-Bey
SEED MD
Vincent began his journey with SEED MD as a student life counselor in 2009. He has had a positive impact on 15 classes of SEED students and in turn, he says, the SEED experience has also changed him for the better.
Luna Otero
SEED Miami
SEED Miami founding staff member Luna Otero has been inspired by SEED’s mission since the first time she heard about the first public college pre-p boarding school in South Florida. She values valued SEED Miami’s close-knit community and collective commitment to persistence and growth.
Cendy Vides
SEED LA
A first-generation college graduate herself, SEED LA director of family and community engagement Cendy Vides has devoted her career to paving pathways to college success.
