Nationwide — Meet Miracle Butler, 14, Keniah Washington, 13, Keyanna Grant, 13, Tyreek Nash, 14, and Kaitlyn Archie-McDonald, 14 (absent from photo). This bright young cohort started as the 1st group of students taking college dual enrollment classes at Icon Preparatory School in Tampa and Jacksonville, Florida. They just finished their first year of college as well as three years of high school at the ages of 13 and 14. The youngest of the group Keniah and Keyanna began taking college courses at 12 years old.
Icon Preparatory School is a private school in the cities of Tampa and Jacksonville, FL that educates over 800 students. Icon Prep is open to any student in the state of Florida and committed to closing the achievement gap among its scholars and more affluent peers. With a belief that a student’s zip code does not determine their destination, Icon Preparatory School empowers its students to reach their maximum potential, preparing them for life in college and beyond.
Five of Icon Prep’s six founders are alumni of Florida A&M University, a historically black college that prides itself on excellence with caring among its students. The leaders of Icon Prep aim to use the knowledge obtained from their HBCU experience to significantly impact their student population that is 99% African American and Hispanic.
The dual enrollment scholars anticipate obtaining their Associate’s Degree within the next year from Saint Leo University. They will then transfer to another four-year university as juniors to complete their bachelor’s degree.