Legacy and promise: The future of The Academy SPS

They say the eyes are windows to the soul. I clearly remember looking into the eyes of a young man at Washington High School and seeing only hostility. I knew then that as Academic Advisor to Minority Students, I would need to do more than track data to encourage that young man and others like him to realize and achieve their capabilities.

I was seeing brilliant Black, brown, and Biracial students getting lost trying to navigate educational systems that didn’t see their full potential or understand their cultural reality. I saw capable students left unsupported, misjudged, or invisible in classrooms that didn’t reflect who they were. I knew we could do better. So, I began building what became The Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success: a place where those students could be challenged, affirmed, and equipped for success on their own terms.

That was 1989, and since then we have been doing what many said was not possible: creating a rigorous, culturally grounded academic experience that nurtures excellence, leadership, and pride.

In the decades since, The Academy has grown from a summer program into a year-round model for educational equity and student empowerment. We have served thousands of students — many of whom have gone on to become engineers, educators, entrepreneurs, public servants, and proud parents instilling in their children the same sense of cultural awareness and drive to succeed. Our alumni are living proof that academic success and cultural identity are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they reinforce one another.

What we have built is a series of programs that are tantamount to a movement. They are a bold declaration that our students deserve the best and that they do not have to leave their identity at the door to achieve their dreams.

As I prepare for retirement, I do so with immense pride and a sense of accomplishment. The Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success has never been just Ruth's program — it has always been about all of us: our staff, our families, our students, and our community.

Now is the time for the next generation of leadership to step up and carry the torch forward.

The road ahead will not be without challenges. Our community continues to face deep educational disparities, as well as cultural misunderstandings and economic barriers that make the work of The Academy SPS more crucial than ever.

The next leader of this organization must be visionary and grounded — rooted in their history and equipped to respond to the complexities of today’s world.

The next leader will need to navigate changing educational landscapes, seek to deepen our partnerships, and to expand our reach — all while holding fast to the values that have always defined us: high expectations, cultural pride, and an unwavering love for our students.

To our supporters, partners, and families: Your voice matters in this moment. As we begin a community-driven transition process, I need for you to show up — not just to honor the past, but to help shape the future.

To the young people who join our programs every year: You are the reason this work began, and you are the reason it must continue.

The Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success was born out of necessity, conviction, and love. As I take the next step in MY journey, I know this: The Academy SPS will prevail.

Dr. Ruth E White is founder and executive director of The Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success.