Wayne Early Middle College High School (Goldsboro, North Carolina)

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Narrator: Looking over, I saw the little tree I had planted,
just peeking up out of the soil, sitting on a windowsill,
a patch of light cast on it.
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Growth is such an amazing thing that people take for granted.
It suddenly made sense -- our school is like a tree.
We're strong in family and knowledge.
With deep roots propelling us, we're always reaching for the
sky, continuing to move forward.
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Student: When I was at another school, it was more about girls and having
a good time.
But when I came here, I realized it was more academic.
Student: I'd never really thought about going to college at all --
I just thought about finishing school and going straight to
work somewhere else.
Teacher: What about your theory can prove that this is incorrect?
Dr. Stiles: This is a program that's designed to take your average
kid off the street and put him through high school in four
years and accomplish an Associate's degree --
that's a two-year degree -- within that timeframe.
Students: 100% graduation rate.
Mrs. Loury: One of the primary focuses of the school is to prepare
students for college, and one of the best ways we do that is by
enrolling students in college classes.
Student: 250 students --
Student: -- equals --
Student: -- 650 college courses --
Student: -- per semester.
Student: Free college!
Mrs. Loury: Over 90% of our students, once they graduate,
go on to some type of post-secondary education.
Teacher: So you guys have to work together as a group to put
this together.
Mrs. Loury: We are huge on collaboration.
Student: These are teamwork activities where we can
build relationships.
Student: And then the red triangle makes a --
finishes the left side.
(applause)
Mrs. Smith: They're working together now, they're collaborating,
they're using the Internet, their computers --
Mrs. Loury: Working together, more can be accomplished and they can learn
from one another.
♪♪(playing guitar)♪♪
Student: I had dream of going to Juilliard and I had to do an
audition tape.
I didn't have a guitar that was sufficient enough for me to
actually play, and so my school bought me my very own guitar.
Student: My father passed away two years ago.
From that experience, I learned that everyone's so friendly
here, even if I don't talk to them often --
they still came and gave me a hug and tell me that
everything's going to be okay.
Student: In eighth grade, when I moved to a new school, I actually met
(indiscernible) and we weren't real cool.
Student: Not at all.
I actually wanted to beat him up.
Student: Now that we're here, we actually got to know each other and we
found out that we're cooler than we thought we was.
Student: Yeah, we're more like family now.
Student: Even though we all have different dreams,
it's one big dream, because we're always there to help each
other out and actually make the dream happen.
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Student: This school, it made me realize that I can be the first one in
my family to go to college.
Student: I am gonna be the first one to graduate out of my family.
Student: Well, if I didn't come to this school,
I wouldn't be able to enroll into pharmacy school.
Student: I'm going to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Student: I'm going to UNC Charlotte.
Student: This school made me realize that I don't have to settle for any
school -- I can reach to the farthest limit.
(cheering)
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