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Charter school network brings excitement, fanfare to college acceptance

"For everyone to be excited for college, you have to find a way to pump everyone up."
Credit: Nelson Garcia
Strive Prep Charter School Network has every senior declare in front of all where they are going to college next year.

DENVER — DENVER - With the energy of a football game, students pile into the Denver Coliseum to celebrate students signing for college, not for athletics, but for academics.

"For everyone to be excited for college, you have to find a way to pump everyone up," said Stephanie Garcia, senior from Strive Prep Excel Academy.

This is an annual tradition for the Strive Prep charter school network in Denver and its founder, Chris Gibbons. Gibbons wants students from all grades to experience this.

"It matters a great deal for all students to see the students older than them take on this path and achieve this level of success," Gibbons said.

He says that 97 percent are students of color. Out of the entire student body, 91 percent are considered low-income. Yet, Gibbons is proud that 95 percent of the seniors were accepted into a four-year college.

"I describe it as a really inspiring, really enthusiastic party in honor of every one of our seniors," Gibbons said.

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