Myiah Smith, SEED Graduate

Education is a form of empowerment to equip oneself with the knowledge to face a constantly shifting world. Education prepares you to be flexible and flow with the changes. As learning happens, youth see themselves reflected within a larger society. Education is about ensuring diverse, inclusive, equitable, and sustainable opportunities for youth to be critical thinkers to examine the world around them deeply, how their relationships impact how they choose to live and exist, and how they can craft a life befitting to them.

My parents and community instilled the importance of education in me at a young age. My siblings and I were encouraged to access all of what the school environment had to offer. It was more than what we brought home on our report cards—but how we demonstrated our learning in and out of the classroom. This encouragement pushed us to excel in our studies and participate in extracurriculars and after-school programming. As a result, my four younger siblings choose different paths, enrolling at School Without Walls, McKinley Technology High School, and Duke Ellington School of the Arts. We each choose schools best aligned with our interests and goals. So, when I learned about The SEED School at ten years old, I was ecstatic!

In 2009, I joined the SEED DC community as a 6th-grader. It reminded me of sleepaway camp; It was more than just a boarding school! I attended Geometry classes with Ms. Princess Harrison, Art with Ms. Kamala Subramanian, and even an elective Why New Orleans Matters class with Mr. Topher Kandik. Evening programming included floor movie nights and DEAR-Drop Everything And Read. From academics to field trips, STEAM, and sports, SEED did a great job curating academic and extracurricular activities—recognizing that each student class had different interests. I participated in the SEED Falcon Theater, along with Varsity Soccer, and our newspaper club, The SEED Quarterly. With the community's support, I had the opportunity to travel abroad during my junior year to Germany on the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange scholarship. This experience sparked my interest in diplomacy and cross-cultural learning.

Despite the adversities my peers and I faced regarding classism, racism, and access within Washington, D.C., we persisted. I grew close to my peers and developed relationships with teachers and mentors that kept me grounded. The variety of exposure opportunities at SEED provided the well-rounded education critical for my development. I decided to begin and complete my educational journey at SEED DC, and in 2016, I graduated valedictorian.

I don’t currently work at a law firm, and I'm not a CEO (yet), but that doesn't stop me from attributing value to our society and empowering the world today. Choices should not be exclusive to those with the privilege to attain them. Those who experience oppression and lack significant economic resources have a right to choose and gain an empowering education.

Giving families a choice to attend The SEED School empowers students to develop well-rounded skills. SEED gifts students a path that opens doors to unrealized potential with the tools to thrive in a society of their own creation. SEED continually contributes to educational justice, especially within communities that face the most injustice. It's been an honor to continue to learn alongside the SEED community and all its members— students, graduates, staff and teachers, our donors and supporters— who contribute to the shared mission of educational justice that empowers future generations of leaders and change makers.

Following SEED, I attended Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and graduated during the pandemic in May 2020. In the summer of 2022, I completed my Master of Education at Johns Hopkins University. I proudly work as an ESOL Educator and liaison of DEIA.

"We are awed by SEED's relentless determination to transform lives and systems, to champion the rights of their students to attain a college degree, to build on strengths that others don't acknowledge, along with a willingness to speak uncomfortable truths. This is all fueled by their deep commitment to and respect for the people they serve: SEED families and students and their communities. This is why we are honored to support SEED."

To say that Kevin and Haise Borgmann are friends of SEED is an understatement. For over two decades, they have been trusted partners—making introductions to potential new friends of SEED, giving generously, serving as advocates, and now contributing to our Annual Report. I am beyond thankful for their dedication and immense kindness.

In this year’s report, we are honored to highlight the Borgmann family, how education has played a key role in their personal journeys, and why they continue to support SEED’s work. I hope you enjoy!