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This Cedar Rapids summer program for students of color ‘unlocked’ ‘enthusiastic’ learners
Public next month invited to tour the Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success’ new ‘physical home’ in Cedar Rapids
Jul. 25, 2025 5:00 am, Updated: Jul. 25, 2025 7:24 am
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CEDAR RAPIDS — As an immigrant, Georgia Oduor enrolled in The Academy for Scholastic & Personal Success to learn about the often untold history of Black Americans.
“I figured if I’m going to live in America, I need to know how Black people are treated in America,” said Oduor, 16, a rising sophomore at Kennedy High School.
The Academy provides high school students an education they can’t find in a public school classroom. It teaches students about Black history, literature, math, science, financial literacy, and a postsecondary seminar helps students prepare for college and be successful once they get there. On Fridays, they engage in wellness activities, including gardening and yoga.
At the end of the rigorous six-week summer program, students have the opportunity to travel and learn more about Black history outside of Iowa.
“The Academy supplements what’s missing in the K-12 school system,” said Wes Butterfield, treasurer of the Academy’s board of directors. “No dings on what’s being taught right now, but there are missed opportunities for African Americans, Black and biracial students to understand more about their culture. Field trips that put them in an environment where they’re not an ethnic minority can be eye opening.”
The 2025 summer session concludes Friday with a closing ceremony.
There also are programs for adult learners and after-school programs for elementary and middle school students in Cedar Rapids schools through the Academy.
Oduor — who is in her second year at the Academy — said she is becoming a stronger essayist, which she hopes will help with her college and scholarship applications. She plans to be a criminal justice attorney someday.
“The students we do have, who have been in the program for three full years, are like night and day,” said Ruth White, who founded the program almost 37 years ago. “I’m thinking of a student who we’ve watched gain confidence, and we watched them become more adept at doing research and keeping up with homework. It’s a marvel to behold.”
Students at the Academy talk about how the program instills in them a love of learning and a stronger sense of self.
Zara Smith, 16, a rising junior at Linn-Mar High School, said she “fell in love with” the Academy. It “unlocked the type of student I never knew I could be,” she said. “Before the Academy, I wasn’t enthusiastic about learning or studying. A switch flipped.”
Many students at the Academy are being taught by a person of color for the first time.
“My teachers look like me. They set examples for me that are really inspiring. They teach us how to think,” Smith said.
Smith said she never had a Black teacher before the Academy. “The closest I got was having a Black coach and a Black guidance counselor,” she said.
Josepha Donfack, 15, a rising junior at Kennedy High School, enrolled in the Academy because she was looking for community after moving to Cedar Rapids from California last year.
Donfack said she’s “serious about my academics,” with plans to pursue a career in the medical field. Those dreams are nurtured at the Academy, she said.
Sebastian Young, 16, a rising junior at Washington High School, said the Academy is fostering his passion for the arts. Young describes himself as a singer, dancer, choreographer, actor and an athlete.
The Academy also is an outlet where he can process racism. He was 8 years old the first time he recalls being called a racial slur by an adult.
In his critical thinking class at the Academy, he gets a journal prompt daily that helps him process his experiences. He often presents his response as a rap to the class.
“Music is who I am. Being able to do that, getting recognized for it and sharing it with others gives me a great feeling,” Young said.
The Academy finds a home
Last fall, the Academy moved in to its first physical home at 119 14th St. SE, Cedar Rapids.
The community is invited to tour the space during an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 14.
“We want the community to know we exist out here in our physical space … to learn more about who we are and what we do … and to dream big with us about how this space might be used,” said Pam Larson, who is a member of the Academy’s executive board.
The summer program will remain where it is at Mount Mercy University, so high school students can experience what it’s like to be on a college campus.
Larson said the Academy has been “doing really good work in partnership with the public school system to advantage an often disadvantaged population.”
“The students are inspiring. The way the Academy has impacted their lives is far reaching. Our students are all over the world doing all sorts of things from working as entrepreneurs to CEOs and at Fortune 500 companies,” Larson said.
The Academy is in the process of seeking a new leader to replace White, who is retiring next summer.
“I want to see this program live beyond Dr. White. We want to see it flourish and grow and continue to impact lives for 30 more years,” Larson said.
Looking to the financial future
Since assuming office, President Donald Trump has made several moves to dismantle or reduce diversity, equity and inclusion programs via threats to revoke federal funding from institutions engaged in certain kinds of DEI-related programming.
Butterfield said there are some financial donors who annually supported the Academy who have “pulled back funding.”
“The good news is we’ve been able to — in some cases — find others to replace those dollars with,” Butterfield said. “I’m hopeful we’ll continue to be able to find other organizations and individuals who see the importance of the work being done and want to help us continue it.”
Mara Bundy, 16, reads the recipe for zucchini bread during The Academy of Scholastic & Personal Success’ summer program at Buffalo United Methodist Church in northeast Cedar Rapids on July 11. Academy founder Ruth White said the idea of the program is for students to join when they become freshmen in high school, and stay in the program until their senior year, so that they can grow as students and citizens. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)
Sebastian Young, 16, and his classmates discuss the next step for their zucchini bread during The Academy for Scholastic & Personal Success’ summer program at Buffalo United Methodist Church in northeast Cedar Rapids on July 11. Academy founder Ruth White said that when the academy was founded, they created two goals for students: academic growth and cultural identity. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)
YaShaun Ferguson, 17, and Zara Smith, 16, discuss recipes for okra with sustainability expert Tamara Marcus during The Academy for Scholastic & Personal Success’ summer program at Buffalo United Methodist Church in northeast Cedar Rapids on July 11. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)
Interns Wilsee Kollie (left), Braja Servin (center) and Ahmed Elsheikh help plan activities for the students’ trip to Atlanta at the end of the summer program during The Academy for Scholastic & Personal Success at Mount Mercy University in northeast Cedar Rapids on July 11. The highlight of the summer courses at the academy is the final trip, when students travel to a place where they can experience African American culture in a positive light. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)
Alayna Diggins, 15, Teiyairnyn Bales, 15, Josepha Donfack, 15, and Zara Smith, 16, recite a poem to close out class during The Academy for Scholastic & Personal Success’ summer program at Mount Mercy University in northeast Cedar Rapids on July 11. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)
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