GLOW Academy Celebrates Its First Graduates
Congratulations are in order for the first graduating class of Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington (GLOW Academy)! A Young Women’s Leadership Network affiliate, GLOW Academy is the first single-gender public charter school in North Carolina. The school launched in 2016 with only a class of 100 sixth graders. Today nearly 400 students in grades 6-12 attend the school modeled on The Young Women’s Leadership Schools’ (TYWLS) Whole Girl Education framework.
Graduation Day
The inaugural graduation on May 27 was a heartfelt celebration of the journeys of the 52 students, their families, and school staff. Principal Kate Tayloe reflected on the hard work and determination of the entire school community: “We are so proud of our graduates, and incredibly grateful that their families chose GLOW Academy to provide the strong secondary education that has prepared each of them for college and a successful future. GLOW Academy’s first graduation represents the fulfillment of the first part of our school’s vision, ‘She WILL graduate.’ However, GLOW’s focus for our students always extended beyond high school graduation to ‘She WILL go to college.’ Our students and our school have grown and matured together over these seven years. We are excited about what the future holds for both our graduates and our school.” Founding Principal Laura Hunter returned to offer her congratulations and share memories of the students when they first started out at GLOW. In another inspirational moment, five 11th grade students accompanied the Seniors as Junior Marshals. They wore white and donned junior marshal sashes to march alongside the senior class, having earned the honor by holding the top GPAs in their grade.
“GLOW was built off of a dream, a dream that girls will have access to a quality education, and utilize it to succeed in both college and life. If we can build the foundation of a school from the ground up at [age] eleven, imagine what we will do now, and at 20, and at 30.”
– Sydney, GLOW Academy graduate
Naiya, the salutatorian speaker, thanked all of their families, teachers, and community members for their support: “It takes a community to build resilience in young leaders, but it takes a sisterhood to build a family. GLOW is our family! Thank you to the class of 2023 for showing me what it feels like to be a part of a real sisterhood that will last forever.”
Sydney shared in her valedictorian speech: “GLOW was built off of a dream, a dream that girls will have access to a quality education, and utilize it to succeed in both college and life.” The class chuckled at Sydney’s memories of starting their journey in a temporary office building and cheered at how far they have come to become leaders and role models for future generations. “If we can build the foundation of a school from the ground up at [age] eleven, imagine what we will do now, and at 20, and at 30. At our colleges and universities, we have the ability to revolutionize old customs… We can transform and heal communities. We can reform government policies. We can change the foundations to level the playing field and we can fix the cracks in the broken ones. We are strong and we are brave, and we will change the world.”
“She Will Graduate, Go to College, And Succeed in Life”
Jahleese Hadley, GLOW’s Director of College Access, remarked: “This graduation marks the fulfillment of a vision and a promise for so many of us. For the founding board who had the vision to build a school for girls in Wilmington; for our parents who trusted GLOW Academy with their children in a brand new school; for our former sixth grade students who didn’t fully understand the vision at first but are now Seniors who embody the values of GLOW Academy in their own authentic ways, and for me, a proud 2006 TYWLS graduate devoted to seeing the legacy of public girls’ education continue to grow and thrive in this country for all students and families who choose it as an option. It has been my pleasure to work with each student, family, teacher, board member, and community supporter to help make the vision of GLOW a reality. Our motto is ‘She Will Graduate, Go to College, And Succeed in Life.’ We’ve already begun to meet that goal, and it’s only the beginning.”
The Class of 2023 have much to celebrate. Their first-ever College Signing Day was a huge success and demonstrated the power and potential of girls’ education to remove barriers to achievement. They have garnered over $3 million in merit scholarships, with 96% of seniors going to college. 72% of the students will be first generation college-bound!
Congratulations once again to GLOW Academy’s Class of 2023. They now join a network of college-bound and college graduate alumnae across Student Leadership Network’s 24 affiliate and partner girls’ schools nationwide. Welcome to the alumni community!
About GLOW Academy
GLOW Academy’s seven-year journey with the first graduating class saw its community celebrate the completion of the school’s current facilities, adapt to the challenges of a global pandemic, and grow from a single grade to a full girls school for grades 6-12. The school is equipped with a digital media lab, maker space, and teaching kitchen to nurture the talents and aspirations of its future leaders. GLOW was recently recognized as a top five school in the state of North Carolina for FAFSA completion rates, a key indicator positively associated with college enrollment and success.
