Words by Beth Avila

SENIOR TRIP

He’s here. He’s there. He’s everywhere. KIPP University Prep High School Principal Francisco Rodriguez is a busy and dedicated man when he is leading Foundation Camp for his school.

I caught him briefly in the Echo Valley ranch house, and he pointed toward a group seated outside playing a game.

“They would be a great group to talk to,” Rodriguez said. “Please let me know if you have any questions.” And off he went behind the kitchen doors to supervise lunch clean-up.

The group of two teachers and four students made room for me to join their game.

When the woman at the end of the table read off another clue, the girl next to me scribbled down her answer. That’s when I noticed her beautifully manicured hands — extra-long square nails with a detailed and delicate design.

What reason would someone have for such nails at camp?… “PROM!”

It’s hard to believe the senior students from KIPP University Prep High School came out to camp on a Tuesday and left that Thursday to then attend their prom that very same night. It feels uncommon to go straight from rivers and cabins to fancy dance floors.

So, what makes this trip to the Canyon so special for these students that they simply cannot miss out, even on the day of their prom?

“These seniors look forward to this trip all year,” Rodriguez said. “It’s one of their last experiences as a group before taking their final IB exams. It’s a moment in time to shift away from the academic aspect of school and enjoy their friends.”

Seniors in their final semester are looking ahead at the biggest life-transition they’ve yet encountered. So many possibilities, so many decisions, so much change. Crossing that graduation finish line can be both exhilarating and exhausting— and the seniors at KIPP University Prep keep that academic gas pedal to the floor up until the very last IB exams.

IB is short for International Baccalaureate, an organization with challenging educational programs with high quality curriculum and rigorous assessments. The organization encourages students across the world to become active, compassionate, lifelong learners.

According to Rodriguez, KIPP believes IB is for everyone, and each student participates in the higher education program.

“Traditionally, the high schools around us have a low percentage of students going to college,” said Rodriguez. “And we want to make sure the community we are supporting has better access to college education.”

It’s a lofty goal, given that, according to the United States Census Bureau, 37.7% of people aged 25 or older had obtained a bachelor’s degree nationwide in 2022, while only 29.1% of San Antonians aged 25 years and older had done so.

KIPP University Prep understands the power of helping students beyond their high school graduation. The school has a program known as “KIPP Forward” that is not only designed to help their students with college acceptance but also to finish college. Through the program, KIPP advisors are there to help their alumni navigate the academic, social, and financial challenges they may encounter while attending college or pursuing a career.

The summer melt, where high school graduates apply and get accepted to college but never enroll, is just one example of the challenges KIPP Forward addresses with their recent graduates. The program focuses on those transitional months by having KIPP counselors provide both students and families with the information, perspectives, and resources to avoid summer melt and make it all the way to enrollment.

THE SENIOR PRIZE

KIPP seniors must have completed at least 80% of their academic requirements to be able to attend Foundation Camp in the spring.

“We want them to have recognition for their hard work, and to also keep them accountable and make sure they’re on track to achieve their goals,” Rodriguez said.

In April 2024, 72 KIPP seniors met their academic requirements and piled onto buses headed to the Frio. “You can immediately see the excitement of the students as we drive through the river,” said Rodriguez. “They love anything to do with the river. Their favorite activities are always swimming or kayaking and canoeing.”

At the picnic table, the favorite activity was trivia. One teacher sealed her win with a quick answer to, “Who was the frontman in the band The Police?” The correct answer, Sting, incited comical and confused looks from the students. “Sting is not a name,” was the consensus of the students.

During the trivia game, the student with gorgeous nails was eager to tell me about her final project, a dance she’d been choreographing all semester. She’d had to teach the dance to a group of students for a final performance, something that took many hours to put together.

Each student at the table had a final project they’d spent most of their last semester completing, and 100% had said yes to attending college somewhere in the area in the fall: Two will be attending Palo Alto College and two will be going to St. Philip’s College. They were clearly proud of their achievements and the effort put into their last year at KIPP University Prep.

But their time in the Canyon provided a desired pause from the senior year grind, and our conversation soon turned back to other important high school matters … like prom dress colors.