DCPS Class of 2025 Celebrated for Commitment to Post-Secondary Education
Featured(Washington, DC) — DC Public Schools (DCPS) students were among the almost 3,000 in attendance for the DC College Access Program’s (DC CAP) annual College Signing Day.
The event, which took place at the Capital One Arena, celebrates DC high school seniors’ commitment to post-secondary education as they look to pursue a two- or four-year degree, enrollment in a post-high school training program, entry into a career, or military service.
Students munched on arena fare while rooting for the Duke Ellington School of the Arts chorus, the TOB Go-Go Band, and the Dunbar High School Crimson Tide Cheerleaders. Opening ceremonies also included inspirational words from DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.
“I want to congratulate you in advance and appreciate you for your hard work all the way through your school years. I want to tell you how much we’re looking forward to your success and how very proud we are of you,” Mayor Bowser said.
Programs like DC CAP’s College Signing Day have been monumental in the District’s efforts to bolster college enrollment following a drop during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Bowser highlighted. “In fact, with the Class of 2025, DC college enrollment is back to pre-pandemic levels, because of you,” she lauded. “And that’s not just data, that’s your hustle, your drive … your refusal to let anything stand in your way.”
“I hope our students feel the momentum of this day and take that energy to whatever they decide to do next,” said Eric Waldo, President and CEO of DC College Access Program. “They look around and realize they belong to something bigger than themselves, a movement that believes in their future. We’re done with just getting kids into college. We need them finishing strong, degree in hand, ready to succeed. College Signing Day plants that seed of belief that they can and will go the distance.”
DCPS educators and staff were also in attendance to support their students. Fayola Jordan-Welsh, school counselor at McKinley Technology High School, shared the importance of College Signing Day. “For our students, this is a chance for them to be celebrated for their hard work over the last four years, and an opportunity for them to be celebrated for all that effort that they’ve put in.”
“And to recognize that they are now onto an amazing next chapter of their lives,” she continued. “We’re really excited for them.”
The day was not only a recognition of 2025 graduates, but also an opportunity for younger DC students to see what is available to them by making the most of their high school experience. “It’s a great opportunity for me to see what all of the high schools have to offer,” said Breanna, an 8th-grade student at Charles Hart Middle School. “Since we’re going to high school next year, it’s cool to see where their students go after.”
