SEAD Scholars

“As individuals we are strong, but as a group we are stronger. Our values and beliefs may consist of many different things, but we together as a group at SEAD, we have more knowledge.” – SEAD student graduate

"In all the time I have spent working with teenagers I have never seen a group that was so supportive of each other. That was really amazing!" – SEAD mentor

Students in the SEAD program are a diverse group drawn from several different communities. Students are drawn from both urban and rural settings. A maximum of 6 students are drawn from each of 5 communities to make a SEAD class of 30 students. All SEAD students come from under-resourced schools and each student qualifies for the federal free or reduced lunch program at his/her school.

SEAD students have the potential and desire to achieve excellence, though they may have lacked the resources and support systems necessary to succeed. Though they may have experienced varied levels of academic success before beginning SEAD, they all have a desire to graduate from high school and further their education. The goal of SEAD is to provide the spark and guidance to help these students expand their educational options and opportunities.