MIAMI (WSVN) - A Miami preparatory school held a signing ceremony where every senior will head to college.
iPreparatory Academy in Miami hosted a College Academic Signing Ceremony on Tuesday morning. Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho — who also serves as the schools’ principal — was in attendance. All 43 seniors signed to colleges across the U.S.
“It was kind of emotional – I didn’t cry, though,” said future Florida International University student Jada Forbes. “It was really emotional and I’m like, ‘OK, this is my time.'”
This is the fourth annual signing ceremony at iPrep Academy. The students are headed to a host of universities including Penn State University, University of Florida, Nova Southeastern University and Florida State University.
One of the seniors, Amir Benjamin, said he will head to FSU to study mechanical engineering. During the ceremony, his parents and sister were cheering for him.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said mother Carleen Nelson Benjamin. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“It’ll be his first time away from home, so we’re worried, but we’re glad to see him go off and glad to see him start the next chapter of his life,” said father Christopher Benjamin.
Among the 43 seniors, $4 million have been offered in scholarships and 13 of them will be first-generation college students.
For Forbes, she’s among the few in her family to even graduate high school.
“It feels like I made my parents proud because they had me so young, so they had to stop everything for me, so I feel like I just accomplished something so big for them,” said Forbes.
Carvalho said he is proud of the graduating seniors.
“It is a small school, but it has become one of the most powerful, highest-achieving schools in the entire country,” said Carvalho. “A lot of these kids overcame immigration threats, poverty, some of them homelessness. It is an incredibly powerful feat that they have accomplished, and we as adults should celebrate alongside them.”
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