This week at our nonprofit board meeting, we heard from 6 of our graduating seniors at CAST Lead High School. This school, with pathways in retail and hospitality management and e-commerce, opened in 2019 – the apex of the pandemic.
These young people remind me of the children’s book: The Little Engine that Could. They’ve breathed life into their motto, “Lead Here, Lead Anywhere,” and shown tremendous resiliency and self-advocacy as they’ve pursed a variety of careers
It was inspiring to hear from Gracie Polasek, who was the first student to win the Rather Prize and was recognized at SXSW this year, and from a group of seniors who tenaciously pursued the design and funding for a senior trip to Disney World in Orlando that they hope future students will also enjoy. I was especially struck to hear from two young men who were interning with the Marriott Rivercenter and Riverwalk, and who have rotated through HR, accounting, house cleaning and event planning. These young men spoke about a deep appreciation for the care hospitality workers take in their jobs, and the pride that goes into the field.
Of CAST Lead’s graduating class:
- Every student has been accepted to an Alamo College, more than 80 percent have been accepted to multiple colleges;
- 34 out of 39 seniors have had a practicum or an internship; the remaining 5 have had an on-campus work experience;
- 3 seniors plan to commit to the military;
- Summa Bradley Ahr has been offered over $300,000 in scholarship offers as of early April 2024;
- Yasmin Martinez was the first high school student to win the Pineapple Scholarship through the San Antonio Hotel and Lodging Association.
Lead Here. Lead Anywhere. Congrats to the first graduating class of CAST Lead High School in East Central!
Jeanne Russell
Executive Director
CAST Schools
