Urban school students in the Class of 2023 were freshman in high school when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Schools closed, in-person classes stopped, and students had to transition to remote learning. However, despite this unorthodox start to their high school careers, students from big-city school districts demonstrated their resilience, excelling in and outside the classroom. Read their inspiring stories.

Albuquerque Graduate Turns Struggle into Motivation (Albuquerque Public Schools)

Sightless But Resilient, Miami-Dade Graduate Has Big Goals (Miami-Dade County Public Schools)

School as a Shelter, The Springboard for Dallas Grad (Dallas Independent School District)

Orlando Teen Journeys from Homelessness to Ivy League (Orange County Public Schools)

New Orleans Twins Amass Scholarships (NOLA Public Schools)

San Francisco Grad Finds His Voice (San Francisco Unified School District)

Las Vegas Activist Graduates Valedictorian (Clark County School District)