Fall brims with new beginnings and fresh challenges. As seniors in high school embark on months of endings and “lasts,” they, too, are preparing for transitions after high school.
Before it’s time to don the mortarboards, let’s take a moment to give a tip of the hat to this year’s Prep Elite students, who were among students nominated by their schools and selected for this spotlight by our editorial team. Read about the other Prep Elite students here: Austin DeSmet, Tristana Tatur, Kevin Zhang
Albertline Solo, Parnassus Preparatory School
“Albertline, more than any other student whom I have had the pleasure of working with in my career, embodies Parnassus’ character pillar of perseverance,” says Lianna Ambriz, an EL teacher at Parnassus Preparatory School. “When Albertline [immigrated] to the United States from Liberia and enrolled at Parnassus as a seventh grader, she had experienced several interruptions to her education and was several years behind in math and reading. Many other students would have been daunted by the challenge, but Albertline was determined to overcome any obstacle put in her path. Through her tireless hard work, Albertline was able to catch up with her grade-level peers. This included working all through her school vacations and summer break to complete multiple levels of elementary mathematics over the course of a single year. She did all this while adjusting to a new culture, language and school system. Albertline is among the most driven and motivated students at Parnassus. ‘I am a hard-working student,’ she says, ‘I put a lot of effort into my work because I really want to learn.’ Outside of school, Albertline works with her aunt in her salon, and, in the summer, helps groups of girls in her community learn how to play sports and outdoor activities, such as kickball.”
—Katherine Good, director of academics
What or who influenced you the most during high school?
“A class that influenced me was [Michael Bennett’s] medieval-modern history class, where we wrote about people from other cultures. The people we learned about did not have good houses or food, and that was like me when I was little in Ghana with my mom. My grandma always encouraged me to focus in school and to ignore anyone [who] makes fun of me. She said to study hard, not give up and become what I want to be. She said, that if a lesson is hard for me, to do my best, and ask questions.” —A.S.
Your future in three words: Dream, Liberia and alive
