Emmanuel Beya
5th grader in Cornell University classroom, University Prep–Steele Street Denver
Last year we learned about segregation between African Americans and whites, and we also learned about how women back in the day didn't have the right to vote, and they didn't also have the right to have a job. It's important to learn about those things because it will help me in the future, because I really want to go to Virginia Tech as my college, and I could get a scholarship to go there. And it could help me, and my family, have a better life. It could also help me because I could learn more, and my brain could get bigger. And it could also help me become a smarter kid, and helps others who aren't smart.
Teachers at U Prep really care about you, they want you to accomplish your dreams. And U Prep also helped me, because my grades were so low that my dad would think that I was dumb, but when I came to U Prep, U Prep really helped me gain back my knowledge, it helped me gain back what I missed from third grade.
I felt proud because at first my dad didn't want me to play around, he wanted me to work on my work. And I really felt proud because now that my dad knows that I'm smart, he also feels confident that in the future, when he's going to be old and his body won't be able to work for me, I will be able to help him and my mom.
