Students Exemplify Strengths of CPS Initiatives

It’s been said, “don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) is taking that sentiment to heart with its My Tomorrow*ed program, focusing on building a bright tomorrow today.

The district, home to more than 33,000 students, is doing everything it can to prepare students for success. The My Tomorrow initiatives work to prepare students not only to graduate, but to do so ready to actively pursue their chosen career paths.

“Our rally cry is ‘ready for the real world,’” says Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Mary Ronan. “Whether our students go on to college or step into the workforce right away, we want to do everything we can to help them succeed.”

She describes eight guiding principles that are at the core of My Tomorrow: higher expectations, engagement, collaboration, real-world connections, technology, social skills, critical thinking and creativity.

First and foremost are higher expectations. “Jobs and careers are increasingly demanding,” says Ronan. “It’s important for us to help students meet tougher learning standards so they can compete for and succeed in jobs that call for people to work smarter and harder than ever before. We’re exposing students to more rigorous content and performance expectations so they are competitive in the workforce and in college applications.”

CPS is also working to engage its students. Administrators and teachers recognize that students must be engaged socially, emotionally and intellectually to be invested in their education and learning at their best ability.

But in addition to higher academic standards and engaged students, the My Tomorrow program also incorporates many real-world tactics and applications to help students be ready to work in professional environments during school and after graduation.

Collaboration is emphasized because the real-world workplace is increasingly collaborative. This helps students be comfortable working in teams, sharing responsibility and making decisions with others.

Real-world connections, forged through workplace shadowing and other experiences, will help students find their passions, be inspired by professionals, find mentors and learn about solving real-world issues. 

“Our students are already getting connected through mentorships, job shadowing, intersession coursework and more,” says Ronan. “Real-world connections can make the difference between a student believing he can integrate into a certain working environment or being afraid or unsure of how to take the next steps. We are confident that facilitating more real-world connections will benefit not only our students but also Tri-State businesses who will be able to find and nurture great talent.”

When students are ready to step into these professional roles, they’ll be ready on the tech front, too. CPS is making sure students are able to use the latest information and communication technology not only to expand their knowledge, but also apply that experience to a digital and data-driven future.

Finally, My Tomorrow is focusing on helping students develop both their critical-thinking skills and their creativity.

“Our students must be able to collect, analyze and critically evaluate information,” says Ronan, “and in order to innovate, we also are encouraging them to develop their creative skills. Creative thinkers generate new ideas, are able to creatively problem solve and help teams view things from different perspectives.”

While some initiatives that are part of the larger My Tomorrow program have already been in place, the full program is in effect beginning with this school year for students in seventh grade through senior year.

“Our students thrive when they’re encouraged to apply their classroom learning in real-world situations,” says Ronan. “We are thrilled to emphasize these skills even more this year and in the years ahead with My Tomorrow*ed.”

To learn more about the kind of opportunities CPS students have inside and outside the classroom, read about the following six outstanding students who are career-minded and focused on taking steps toward success. 

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For more information, visit www.mytomorrowed.org. 

“Ni hao” may be a Mandarin greeting, but Aiken High School senior Andrew Dean can say ‘hello’ to a bright future no matter the language. That’s because his education and desire to learn know no boundaries. Andrew wants to work in international business and has taken advantage of programs through Cincinnati Public Schools to get hands-on experience.

This summer, he spent time with a host family in New Taipei City in Taiwan as part of an annual Cincinnati Public Schools student visit program coordinated by the Cincinnati Sister Association, a district partner.

“Taiwan has great history and is a hub in international business and trading,” he says. “I’m thankful that I was able to travel there and learn so much.”

Next, he may have the opportunity to go on another trip; this one to Munich, Germany. “With everything I did helping in Taiwan and helping get meetings and students organized, I was invited back for another experience,” he explains. “Now, we are just looking into funding and details.”

But even when he’s stateside, Andrew is getting practical business experience. Aiken emphasizes postsecondary education and career planning, and has partnered with GE to create opportunities for students to succeed on both fronts.

“I’m part of the GE Scholars program that starts for most students in their sophomore year,” says Andrew, “but you can still apply your junior and senior year. If you’re with them all three years, they’ll supply you with a laptop for college. You also have the opportunity to work with GE during your summers while you’re in college. I would love to take advantage of that opportunity.”

He is exploring his next steps, including possibly applying to the University of Cincinnati’s Lindner College of Business. “The guidance office just helped connect me to people at UC’s business school so that I can go up to shadow for a week, sit in on classes and see what the courses, students and professors are like,” says Andrew. “I’m considering applying to their Honors-PLUS program.”

The hands-on efforts of administrators and teachers to help him prepare for college and the future stand out to Andrew. “I really like the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative class,” he adds. “It’s an actual class that helps us get ready for things we will need professionally, including writing resumes, getting thank-you letters together and working on interview skills.”

Whether he goes to UC or heads to another school like the University of Southern California (another possibility on his list), Andrew is ready for the next adventure. The whole world is waiting for him. 

It’s a good thing Mikayla Renfrow’s day at the School of Creative and Performing Arts includes conditioning, because this sophomore is reaching for the stars.

“I think I was born to perform,” says Mikayla, who is also a top academic honor student at SCPA, the nation’s only public K-12 arts school. “I was born with a gift, so I might as well give it back. I look forward to working on the stage the rest of my life, hopefully as a career but always as a passion.”

Administrators call Mikayla a “triple-threat” excelling in singing, dancing and acting. She’s currently preparing for her role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat opening November 6 at SCPA.

“I love SCPA,” says Mikayla. “It’s my second home. I’m there from 8 a.m. until 6 or 7 p.m. nearly every day. I love performing with friends and peers, and performing in general. I love learning new combinations and learning new music, and then putting what we’ve worked so hard for on stage and hoping the audience likes it.”

Mikayla’s day includes a prestigious musical theater program led by SCPA alums Drew and Leah Lachey. “We condition, get stronger, work on our core, move into routine and combination, dance technique,” explains Mikayla. “We incorporate ballet, jazz, hip hop, all different styles we can use that prepare you for a career on Broadway.” 

She also works on vocals and drama, developing acting behind the song, honing monologues. And she’s in Meridian 8, a group that learns and performs vocal jazz pieces and the occasional pop song.

“I have learned so much here,” says Mikayla, “from learning to read music to perfecting different audition techniques.”

Though confident, Mikayla is surprisingly humble. She notes that there are always “a lot of people better than you” and that you have to work hard to make your stamp on life. “Take critiques, it’s all to make you better. Have that fire and drive, never lose it, keep working on it and have a wanting and yearning to keep working hard, and give the gift out to the audience on stage every night. Give the audience something to think about.”

And that’s advice that students and professionals alike can take to heart.

When it comes to his education, Isaiah Jones wants to win – both in the classroom and on the basketball court.

A senior at Woodward Career Technical High School, this sought-after point guard is also in the top 5 percent of his class and has seen interest from a number of colleges, including Ivy League schools. He’s an athletics team captain, attends leadership training and works at a summer camp for youth. He makes his accomplishments look easy but in reality pours in the effort to turn talent into success.

“All the programs in my school have been a great experience these past few years,” Isaiah says. “After college if I don’t go into professional basketball, I’d like to go into architecture or graphic design. One of our programs is a tech program that focuses on construction, how to read blueprints, run a work site, use tools properly and I really enjoy it. It’s very hands on, and those type of classes help you see what kinds of fields you want to go into after college.”

When he’s not busy in his tech program, Isaiah hits the books for human geography and AP English. He’s a member of the Men Organized Respectful and Educated Program in Cincinnati Public Schools, which instills leadership skills and strong character.

“We go into the community and give back,” says Isaiah. “We host different events like father-son lunch and father-daughter lunch, do things for students within CPS and for people in the community in general.”

Isaiah also gives back to the community in other ways, such as volunteering as a youth basketball coach. The effort is a great model of how CPS encourages students to learn collaboration skills so they’ll be comfortable working in teams, sharing responsibility and making joint decisions. “I help coach with my dad,” says Isaiah. “We volunteer at the schools and have a youth team that comes in and plays with us. I’ve been doing that for a few years now, since middle school. I enjoy watching the players grow as they improve their skills and I try to be a good role model.”

Though his senior season is still ahead of him, this point guard is already a clear winner. 

It’s been said that the world is a book and those who don’t travel read only a page. Rachel Johnson, a senior at Clark Montessori High School, is determined to read from cover to cover.

She’s been on school-sponsored trips to New York City; Washington D.C.; Paris, France; and Andros Island in the Bahamas.

“I want to get away every opportunity I can,” says Johnson. “I love adventure and seeking out the world.”

She explains that at Clark Montessori, students are able to go on intersession each spring. “It’s a two-week period where you can pick a mini-class that ranges in anything from music recording production to surviving in the wild to international trips,” she says. “This year, I’m going to the Dominican to do service work. The teacher who is going with us is from the Dominican, so we’ll visit his family and get to see firsthand the culture.”

Rachel’s other trips have been packed full of learning experiences, too. “Freshman year I was in the steel drum band and we traveled to New York City to a few blind schools and taught students how to play the steel drums and gave concerts. Sophomore year we went to Washington D.C. and learned about politics. Junior year, I went with other students studying French to Paris. The whole program is really preparing me for the real world. We focus on school work and getting good grades, but also getting hands-on experiences.”

Even when she’s here in Cincinnati, the experiences aren’t just in the classroom. “Each fall we have another intersession but unlike the ones in spring they are assigned by grade. In fall, for seniors that means job shadowing.” Rachel has already been in touch with non-profits to learn about the business-side of the non-profit world. She has public service work exposure as well, having completed an internship at the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati learning about environmental science.

In the future, she hopes to apply the lessons she has learned traveling the world and getting hands-on experiences in a career in international business. She wants to study international business and minor in Spanish and French. She’s even considering internships abroad.

No matter what lies in store for Rachel, it’s sure to be an adventure. 

The average high-school student doesn’t have much human resources experience. But Jordan Miller is not your average high school student.

While other students are more likely to be shopping at Macy’s than working in its corporate office, this Hughes STEM High School junior has already written the book on what it’s like to work there – literally.

“Both freshman and sophomore year I was able to do my intersession at Macy’s,” says Jordan of the intensive hands-on learning experiences and field study Cincinnati Public Schools offers students.

“Everyone takes on their own tasks. My role was human resources. I was able to help develop the employee handbook, something I excelled at that I had never done before.”

She didn’t stop there, though. She impressed the Macy’s team and forged real-world connections with the people she worked with.

“I was able to find a mentor, Kara Jones, and she is amazing,” says Jordan. “I’m so thankful I was able to do my intersession there and learn so much.”

As she gets ready to apply to colleges, Jordan has reflected on the importance of her high-school experiences as a foundation for what’s to come. “I love that we’ve been able to get hands-on experiences and learn while having fun,” she says. “I love the teachers at Hughes. The teachers and principal motivate you. I can still go back to my freshman teachers and they still will greet you with a hug and care about your progress. Hughes gives you every opportunity to succeed.”

Jordan is certainly excelling in her coursework, from AP English to core health classes. “I’m taking a human systems course and a bio- medical class I really enjoy,” says Jordan. “I’ve thought about being a biomedical engineer, and health courses widen your options. Whether I choose to be a nurse, doctor or something else, this program helps me think about careers I could be involved in.”

No matter what profession she pursues, Jordan is likely to pay forward mentorship to young students one day. Her advice for other students? Even when others are rooting for you, you have to be your own best advocate.

“The drive for education comes from within,” she says. “That desire to learn comes from within. So if you don’t instill in yourself that you must succeed in life you won’t be able to do well in school. You must help yourself first. You must believe you can do anything you want to achieve.” 

Swede Moorman III has proven himself the crème de la crème, a leader among exceptional students at Walnut Hills High School, a nationally-ranked school where the motto is sursum ad summum, Latin for “rise to the highest.”

For Swede, the ascent started with finding the right mountain.

He’d gone to The Seven Hills School, a private college prep school, for the duration of his education. It was a difficult decision for Swede and his mom, Felicia Bell, to leave a place where they felt like family, in part to gain access to Walnut’s vast AP course catalog. But now Swede says, he “wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

He credits teachers and coaches with helping him feel at home, and a friend who had started earlier for introducing him to peers. Swede loves the sense of community within the honors program, where he’s worked hard to succeed.

Though other students had started Latin a year earlier, Swede sought out and received tutoring from his Latin teacher during the summer so that he could move from Latin I in eighth grade to Latin III with the rest of his peers in ninth. “Mrs. Tara Ligon has been the most influential teacher I’ve had,” he says. “Usually the students who do really well in Latin are the students who do really well at Walnut, too.”

As a junior, Swede has already completed the most advanced Latin placement Walnut offers, passed its AP exam and serves as co-consul, a leadership role, in Walnut’s chapter of the National Junior Classical League. He also studies Spanish and received a gold medal for scoring at or above the 95^th percentile in the National Spanish Exam.

“There are so many things you can get involved with and people who will help you shape your own experience at Walnut,” says Swede. “I went to Guatemala this summer with our Spanish program and it exposed those of us who went to a whole different side of life. These are the type of opportunities that can set you up for success.”

He encourages other students to “look at the bigger picture past all the work, past all the stress, past the late nights. Look for the benefits. Remember how far this education has taken so many people.”