When other boys in his North County neighborhood were goofing off, 12-year-old Brandon Ramsey was too busy for trouble. “I was taking two science and math classes, learning Spanish and taking violin lessons,” he recalls. He went on to graduate from a prestigious, college-preparatory high school. Today, the 19-year-old is majoring in biomedical science at Southeast Missouri State University.
Thanks to ACCESS Academies, Ramsey is one of 449 students from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods who have thrived in middle school and attended college-prep high schools. Founded in 2005, ACCESS (Academies Creating Challenging Education for St. Louis Students) provides students in underserved areas with access to quality education. “We make a seven-year commitment to each student, beginning in middle school and continuing throughout high school,” says executive director Blake Youde. The program serves predominately African-American and Hispanic students who also qualify for federal poverty programs, he adds.
In partnership with three Archdiocesan middle schools, ACCESS provides a challenging core curriculum, tutoring and scholarship support within the framework of a 10-hour school day and an extended school year. Parental involvement is mandatory, and students get extra help with problem areas and enrichment in areas where they excel. “Our goal is to get each student into a college-prep high school—and we’re pretty good at it,” Youde says. While in high school, students participate in the ACCESS Graduate Support Program, which provides full scholarship support, tutoring, mentoring, ACT preparation courses and other services to ensure continued success.
“It works,” Youde says. “In the last eight years, 98 percent of our graduates have been accepted at college-prep high schools, compared to only 6 percent of African American and 4 percent of Hispanic grads accepted nationally. An astounding 99 percent of these students graduate high school on time, compared to only 72 and 81 percent of students statewide. And 93 percent of our grads have been accepted to a college, compared to 32 and 26 percent nationally.”
Currently operating from Holy Trinity School & Academy in North St. Louis, St. Cecilia School & Academy in South St. Louis, and St. Louis the King at the Cathedral in the Central West End, ACCESS accepts students regardless of grades, test scores, race, ethnicity or religious affiliation. ACCESS high school students get some support from the annual St. Louis NativityMiguel Scholarship Dinner, hosted by ACCESS and Vatterott Foundation. The event takes place June 4 at The Four Seasons. “But we receive no public funding, so we rely on donations from St. Louisans who care about the future of their community,” Youde says. “It’s a valuable investment. ACCESS empowers students to break the cycle of poverty and despair.”
ACCESS graduate Brandon Ramsey plans on going to dental school when he graduates from Southeast Missouri State. “I want to be a dentist and create as many beautiful smiles as I can!” he says. “Thanks to ACCESS, I’m on my way. I wish more kids could get this kind of help.”
By Tony Di Martino
Photo by: Charles Barnes
Pictured: Executive director Blake Youde
