Blog

Before I came to Summit Olympus, I didn’t really care about school. I was just doing the bare minimum to get by. My 8th grade year, I transferred from one district to another because I was getting into trouble. Then my mom’s friend told her about...

I’m a founding student and eighth grader at Rainier Prep. I live in Burien with my brother and our parents, who immigrated from Vietnam. My parents are constantly pushing me to be something better, to become the independent man they believe I can...

Shauna Edwards, Founder, Lumen High School "We need to shift away from the expectation of failure to seeing teen parents as the amazing hard-working, strong adults that they are capable of becoming." As a 22-year old, I mentored a teen parent, and...

Chastity Catchings, Founding Operations Director, Green Dot Rainier Valley Leadership Academy My role makes it possible for my school to serve the whole student, the whole family. As Director of Operations, my role covers everything outside of...

Ayanna Gore, Vice Principal of Instruction and Culture, Summit Sierra To me, being a leader is all about activating the leadership in others. I’ve been working in public education for eleven years, first as a high school science teacher, and then...

Jessica Baumer, Founding Kindergarten Teacher, Impact Public Schools: Puget Sound Elementary This is my seventh year teaching, and my third time being part of a founding team at a charter public school. My heart just goes to where the work is—where...

My name is Orion and a sophomore in my second year at Summit Atlas. I am proud to be one of Atlas’ founding students. My mom learned about the school from our principal, Ms. B., who was handing out flyers in our neighborhood before the school...