DISD Seniors Receive Early Acceptance To Top Universities

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DALLAS (CBS11) - Alejandra Nava attends one of the best public high schools in the nation and it sits in the shadow of downtown Dallas.

"I started at K.B. Polk in Pre-K," said Nava, who is a crayon to college product of DISD.

She said her parents didn't go to college, but she's now headed to Harvard.

"I really wanted to get a great education and I think everyone around me expected me to do big things in my life," said Nava.

You could say that success is expected at DISD's School of Science and Engineering, one of six high performing magnet schools housed at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center.

But, many of her college-bound peers said it took their teachers to tap that potential.

"I didn't think it was for me," said 17-year-old Herber Banda. "I couldn't even dream that dream."

Banda said he thought he would graduate and get a job. And he will. Only now he will first detour through Stanford, with a full ride scholarship worth between $275,000 and $300,000.

"I would never have been able to apply to Stanford or any college of that caliber if it weren't for SEM [School of Science & Engineering ]," said Banda.  He said the staff at the school made him believe that he could, adding, "and they gave me the opportunity and the resources to get there."

Skeptics often say the school's success is assured because as a magnet they're able to select their students. But, school leaders say the consistently high rankings reflect academic rigor and students who are pushed to achieve, while also being supported and encouraged.

"What they don't see behind the scenes are the students who get here at 7:30 in the morning, the students who leave here at 6:00 at night, the teachers that are here with them," said principal Tiffany Huitt. "It���s easy to say that we cherry pick our students—but, please understand that there's a lot of work that goes into the success that we have."

During her five years as principal of the School of Science and Engineering, Huitt says she has worked to raise expectations and performance for all students.

"We show them every single day: you are capable of taking these rigorous courses… you are capable of doing this work. You're capable," said Huitt. "Sometimes you just need someone in your corner saying; you can do this. And you'd be surprised how much of that really makes a difference for them—more than even the work that we're doing when we're tutoring them."

And students agree that academic rigor is only part of the campus' appeal. "We are all very supportive of each other," said Patrisia Deanda, who received an early acceptance to her school of choice, the University of Pennsylvania. "When someone gets an acceptance, we message them, we call them, we're super happy, we're crying with them, we're hugging then. I think that support system was really important to me while being here."

And these seniors have much to celebrate with Ivy League acceptance notices arriving daily.

"I feel like I can basically do anything now," said Nava.

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