Top performing school offers path to success for economically-disadvantaged youth
When Dr. Laura Henry, director of Chinquapin Prep in Houston, learned that students at her school would soon be eligible for ACE Scholarships her first reaction was “What’s the catch?”
The more she learned about ACE the more she realized there was no “catch.” She saw that ACE was a perfect fit for the school, because it’s mission is to provide economically-disadvantaged youth with the opportunity for a better future through education.
Serving boys and girls in grades 6-12, Chinquapin Prep is one of the top performing schools in Houston with 100 percent of graduates accepted into four-year colleges and SAT scores 200 points above the state average for all students.
Twenty students at Chinquapin Prep will receive ACE Scholarships in the fall, valued at $1,900 for 6th – 8th grade students and $2,800 for 9th – 12th grade students.
“The impact that the ACE Scholarship will have on the lives of these students will be incredible,” explained Dr. Henry. “We set high standards for our students and although many of them have faced incredible challenges in their young lives they respond by setting their sights on becoming young men and women of character determined to achieve personal and professional success in life.”
Boys in 7th through 12th grades at Chinquapin stay Monday-Friday in campus dormitories. Evenings are spent in study hall, athletics, and doing chores. Many girls who attend the school spend three hours a day getting to and from campus but a new dorm is being built to offer a residential setting to those who choose to stay during the week.
To fulfill the school’s motto of Quid pro Quo, students also give back by performing daily chores and helping in the community.
For more information on Chinquapin Prep visit www.chinquapin.org