L to R: Susan Madden Lankford, Jenny Parsons, and Cecil Steppe
For more photos see the Gompers Album on our Google+ Page!
We had the pleasure of being given a personal tour of Gompers Preparatory Academy. It is an inspiring place, one in which the building blocks of many futures are laid. Here is a snippet of their mission statement:
The mission of Gompers Preparatory Academy, in partnership with University of California, San Diego & our community, is to accelerate academic achievement for ALL students through a college preparatory culture & curriculum.
GPA prides itself on preparing students for college and the professional world and beyond through a combination of rigorous academic curriculum, comprehensive life skills courses, and wide-ranging enrichment opportunities. GPA offers an all-encompassing education engaging all facets of student development.
The tour, which we thoroughly enjoyed, was given by Cecil Steppe and Jenny Parsons. Cecil is the Chairman of Gompers. He is also the Former President and CEO of San Diego Urban League and served as San Diego’s former Chief of Probation for 12 years. Jenny Parsons is their Chief Business Officer.
As our guides led the way, we were graciously welcomed by Gompers teachers, Director Vincent Riveroll, and 900 students dressed in sharp uniforms, lined up and ready to walk through the Gates of Wisdom. It was quite an experience.
The three and a half hour tour included several interesting stops. One part that was particularly touching was the experience of hearing personal stories of success from five of their seniors. In addition, we were treated to a special presentation by a lovely female vocalist and her fellow pianist, as well as a visit into their computer and chess labs. You can find the pictures that we took during the tour in the Gompers Album on our Google+ Page!
-Susan Madden Lankford
Here is a quick video about Gompers to give you a little context. They are doing some really fantastic things!
Thank you for showing this. You two women are a blessing on the community, helping us see things we would never know about or understand without your efforts.