UA Class of 2004
College: University of MO – Columbia (2004 – 2007)
Degree: Psychology
Advanced Degree: Master of Education in Psychology and Counseling
Profession: Middle School Outreach Counselor
I was in the first freshman class to start at University Academy. We were housed in a small repurposed building on Troost. Classrooms did not have windows. We walked around the block to a church with a gym for PE class. And I think there was wood paneling in the front office area…..While it was very obvious that this school was just starting out, from the beginning, the focus of UA was clearly on quality education with very high academic and behavioral expectations. Our teachers were tough. They let us know not only when they were proud of us but also disappointed. More importantly, they explained why. My classmates and I were set up with every skill and opportunity we needed to be successful in our post-secondary choices. I graduated with an undergraduate degree a year early and went on to earn a master’s degree.
Now, I am a licensed professional counselor and work as an outreach counselor in a middle school and I love my job. I have the opportunity to support students through life challenges so they can also graduate from high school and attend college or start a successful career, as UA has allowed me to do.
I love talking about my unique high school experience. My graduating class was smaller than most, mainly due to the consistently high expectations put on us to help support us as college-ready students. For a while, people would ask what high school I attended and they wouldn’t know what I was talking about. However, that has changed. People know UA and they know it to be a very good school. I’m proud to say that I was part of the first graduating class. I wouldn’t be in the same place if I had not attended UA.
