21st Century Atlanta Scholars illustrate APS success at State of the Schools address

For APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall, the 21st Century Atlanta Scholars who helped introduce her at Tuesday’s annual State of the Schools address more symbolic of the district’s success and not some exceptions to a rule of academic achievement. So it was heartening to hear Jared Vallair, Brittany M. Williams and Fatouma Kunjo take turns in not only introducing the superintendent but also to give attendees of their remarkable individual journeys.

As mentioned in the previous post below, Vallair, the most recent APS graduate, will attend Tufts University in the fall, while Williams will begin her junior year at Hampshire College. And then there’s Kunjo (pictured, above), who dazzled the audience with the announcement that, since graduating recently from Bowdoin College, she has earned an academic scholarship to begin graduate work at Stanford University. In her introduction speech Kunjo expressed a range of career goals that included becoming a school board member and working with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Something tells us she’ll accomplish whatever she envisions.

Check out her introduction speech above, watch the video about the event here, and a post-address interview with Kunjo here. Learn more here about Lyntoria Newton, another 21st Century Scholar who, like the others, has spent this summer interning in the district office.