Kenyan Tutor Program Students Start High School

From Louise Kennedy, English faculty: Just before our holiday break, we learned that three of the girls we have been tutoring in Kenya had passed their national exam. That meant they were eligible to attend high school. This was really big news for our group of hard-working student tutors. What we also learned is that there are prohibitive costs associated with high school (about $130 for the year for each girl) and that even though the girls were qualified, they might not be able to attend given their low economic status. The Kenyan school year begins in January, so we had to do some quick scrambling to help. Through a remarkable series of events and some good old-fashioned work over the break, we were able to team up with a non-profit to help with the paperwork and the filing of forms at the local schools. We were also able as a school to help with the tuition. I am so thrilled to announce that the girls started high school late last week. This is a huge step forward in their lives, and junior Fiona Zimmerman and I will be able to talk to them about their new experience when we visit in March. This is the joy of SES. We make a difference every day through hard work and empathy. So proud to be a Pirate!