Mamfatou Baldeh, who graduated in 2014 from BHSEC Queens, heard about BHSEC from a friend in her middle school, MS 118 in the Bronx. She knew the basics: that you could earn college credits and an AA degree. When she started in 2010, she knew she was a part of something special.

“The moment I realized this was something bigger,” she said, “was when my dad was talking about it and telling some family friends. They were so fascinated by it and I felt great about it. I knew that I might be able to transfer over all these credits; but at that moment, I felt like I really knew that it was special. …”

Mamfatou is currently in her freshman year at Columbia University, where she appreciates the preparation she received from Bard. “I got so many skills from dealing with the intensity of BHSEC. I know so much better, now, how to handle heavy workloads. I would have been drowning now and freaking out about it. I’m not saying it’s easy, but I know how to handle it.”

Mamfatou has been focused on her academics for her whole life. Her family had always stressed education and going to college. “Back then in middle school, I was getting all 90s and above. But when I got to my first year at Bard, I got a B+ and I cried over it! I was used to being at that A standard, and I thought it would be a breeze to get As there too.” She knew that BHSEC was going to push her to levels that she hadn’t reached before, and she was ready for it.

At Columbia, Mamfatou continues to challenge herself, but does express her gratitude for all the growth she experienced at BHSEC. She credits the nurturing environment at BHSEC for her smooth transition to Columbia. “It is such a different atmosphere. Here, you’re kind of left on your own. Being here and seeing that people just expect you to go off and be independent made me appreciate all the support I received at BHSEC. They love you and they want to help you. I had a great support system with all my professors and guidance counselors and even the Dean and Principal. They all wanted to get to know you and help you with whatever they could help you with.”

In addition to BHSEC’s resources and extensive support systems, the liberal arts and seminar class styles introduced new perspectives and options, Mamfatou says. “When I was in middle school, I wanted to be a doctor, and then I got to BHSEC and was exposed to the seminar style classes and the readings we were doing. It was then I realized I like humanities.” The learning at BHSEC very much stressed the importance of community and the value in each individual’s voice. “In seminar,” she says, “we’d sit in a circle, see one another, and talk to each other. That’s where I realized that that’s the kind of thing that I like.” She references her experiences in seminar when looking for classes at Columbia that fit her best.

For Mamfatou, BHSEC’s passionate faculty made a real difference in how she approached the material. “One of my favorite classes at BHSEC was my globalization class with Professor Hymson—I loved her. I find it really comparable to a class I’m taking now: my modern Caribbean class.” What attracted her to both classes, she says, was that both professors genuinely seemed to like what they were teaching, and showed that they are human just like their students. “The professors at BHSEC genuinely like what they are teaching. It’s not just a job.”

Mamfatou is entering her second semester at Columbia, and feeling confident in doing so. “It’s definitely comparable—I just know how to handle it. I’ve done it. That’s why it’s an easier transition. I’ve done this before, and it’s the same standards they’re holding us to.” Mamfatou is prepared for the work ahead of her at Columbia, and is grateful for the head start she received at BHSEC Queens.

“I did a lot of learning about how I learn.  I learned a lot about myself as a student, and that helped me to go forward.”

Nick Gumas came to BHSEC Manhattan from the United Nations International School. He is currently enrolled at the George Washington University and is majoring in political science with a focus on public policy.

Nick had his eyes set on BHSEC during the high school admission process. BHSEC was his top choice, one of two schools he applied to. He heard of BHSEC from a friend “who went on and on” about the school. Soon enough, Nick fell in love with the school, too.

Nick believes that BHSEC’s academic culture, one that promotes inquiry and discussion, contributes to a thriving community. “Everyone here challenges you intellectually, our conversations rotated around current events or readings. The environment was very warm and accepting—it was a really great place to learn.”

Nick credits BHSEC’s engaged and knowledgeable professors with setting the stage for an atmosphere of learning. “Professors are attentive here at BHSEC, and that obviously benefits the students. More people are engaged in class discussions and have thoughtful things to say.” He fondly remembers discussions about postmodernism: “It was always a lively debate, never dull, never boring.” Like everyone, Nick favored some classes and not others, but he never felt alienated from a topic. “I genuinely enjoyed materials taught to me, even things that I wasn’t interested in were made interesting by the professors.”

Although Nick had always been passionate about politics, his experience at BHSEC cemented his views. “I was never much interested in education policy until going to BHSEC and then a large university. Interacting with students who have different high school backgrounds, you realize your experience at BHSEC is something very few people have the opportunity to experience. After hearing their stories, I became concerned and passionate about education policy.”

Since leaving BHSEC, Nick has become involved in politics. In New York, he interned at NARAL Pro-Choice New York and, while in Washington, Nick has worked at Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s office and the Human Rights Campaign. He was also chosen to be the student speaker at the United for Marriage Rally, organized by the Human Rights Campaign and United for Marriage. Once he graduates from George Washington, Nick has his eyes set on law school and public office.

Nyla Rock-Vanloo is a 2003 graduate of BHSEC Manhattan. After graduating from BHSEC, Nyla enrolled in Agnes Scott College, where she majored in Psychology. She is pursuing a career in social services and has a background in providing services to children with developmental disabilities. For the past year, Nyla has worked with homeless adults who have mental illnesses.

Unlike Nyla’s previous educational experiences, love of learning and engagement in the classroom was the norm at BHSEC. “I came from an environment where learning was rote and regimented and I didn’t have the opportunity to be challenged in a way where I explored my own intellect.” Learning how to think critically was the cornerstone of Nyla’s BHSEC education. She was not told what to learn or how to interpret what she learned; she had to think. “I was given space to learn how to write and how to think. I wrote and rewrote papers until I was able to go beyond the context of the work and explore who I was within the work I was reading.”

Nyla still remembers much about BHSEC’s classroom experience. Although years have passed since she graduated, Nyla has many fond memories of Seminar and a class she took called Gender and Sexuality. “I learned to write in Seminar, and we read difficult texts like Freud, and Marx. I still have those books today.” Nyla remembers her Gender and Sexuality class because of the hands-on nature of the coursework. “It was an interesting class where we went out a did a lot of on-the-street projects. I had never been exposed to studying gender and sexuality, and I appreciate that I now have an intellectual perspective on the topic, rather than a perspective influence by religion or popular culture.”

Nyla credits her BHSEC professors with setting the stage for an environment where learning was of paramount importance. Like the students, the professors at BHSEC were learning and conducting research in their own fields as well; they were scholars who had a passion for the subject matter. “Professors at BHSEC love their work so much. They model what it means to be invested in their work and be intellectually challenged. We were a very tight-knit group of people.”

BHSEC not only changed the way Nyla read, wrote, and thought, but it also provided the seed for her future career goals. Nyla’s interest in psychology was sparked by a lecture given at the school by a psychiatrist on teen suicide in the Navajo nation tribe. “That day, I was inspired to work with people who have mental illness, but it took me a while to find the work that I wanted to do. . . . I finally decided on social work.”

In summarizing her experience, Nyla says, “BHSEC provides an intellectual environment where students are challenged in untraditional ways. I became a critical thinker and was able to recognize problems from many different perspectives. The school prepares you for some of best colleges in the country. I would send my children to BHSEC.”

Olga Carmona grew up in Spanish Harlem. She learned about Bard High School Early College (BHSEC) through a postcard in the mail. At the time, she was attending a parochial school on a full scholarship. Olga was always a dedicated student but was never challenged. The opportunity to graduate with an associate’s degree from Bard College for free convinced her to transfer to BHSEC. Her mother was a single parent on public assistance with three children; the early college provided an unparalleled opportunity for Olga to gain access to a college education.

Although she struggled at first, Olga managed to pick up her grades with the help of her professors and peers and graduated in 2003 with an associate’s degree from Bard. Although her early grades were not good, the prospect of the associate’s degree kept her motivated. Once she earned the degree, she was determined to transfer every single credit and save as much money as possible, which is what she did by continuing her studies at Bard College. Arriving at college with only a graduation gift of $50, Olga graduated in two years from Bard with a bachelor’s degree, and a higher GPA than the one she had at BHSEC. She was the first in her family to leave her neighborhood and the first in her family to graduate from college.

After college graduation, Olga returned to BHSEC as an admissions coordinator, while pursing a master of science degree in urban affairs at Hunter College. She currently codirects admissions for BHSEC Queens, where she leads efforts to recruit a diverse student body. “It was really important for me to come back to BHSEC to make sure that I would be able to find students who are in similar situations as I was to attend BHSEC. Recruiting a diverse student body, especially from low-income families, and making sure these families know about this great opportunity is why I’m still at BHSEC,” she explained.

BHSEC was a life-changing experience for Olga. As she explained, “If it wasn’t for BHSEC, my life would have taken a different route. Coming from a poor family, a $40,000 price tag for a year in college is impossible. If you multiply that by four, it’s just unimaginable. However, BHSEC did more for me than save me a lot of money – it challenged me and kept me focused on my school work despite everything else that was happening around me. There were a lot of obstacles and distractions outside of school but the fact that I had challenging professors who were caring and committed to see me succeed was a nice formula for my success.”

In Olga’s free time, she participates in a college mentoring program in Spanish Harlem through the East Harlem Tutorial Program. She helps a 12th-grade student navigate the college application process. During the sessions, Olga is constantly grateful for her BHSEC education. “I am always reminded how lucky I am to have the opportunity to have attended BHSEC. The challenges that these students face are enormous. I wish we could have more BHSEC’s and more early colleges to accommodate more students.”

Olivia Winn is a 2010 graduate of BHSEC Manhattan. She is currently a student at the Columbia University School of Engineering, where she is majoring in computer science. After Columbia, Olivia intends to enroll in a computer science PhD program.

Olivia was interested in attending BHSEC because of the unique curriculum and the positive learning environment. “My initial interest in BHSEC stemmed from getting an associate’s degree. I also liked how small the school was and I liked the people I talked to.” Although she came to BHSEC with a strong interest in the sciences, Olivia thought the intensive writing curriculum would be to her benefit, as she wanted to improve her writing skills.

From the beginning, Olivia noticed a strong sense of community and belonging at BHSEC. As a freshman, she remembers the school administration and faculty being very present. “It didn’t take very long to meet everyone and it very quickly felt like a community.” Her peers were also a motivating factor for her success. “Being with friends who are really hard working and who strive for the best gives you a cushion to fall back on. . . . It’s a great support network.”

Olivia believes the BHSEC’s small class sizes were crucial to the education she received. “The small classes were very beneficial because you got to know everyone and you were able to connect with everyone.” She has fond memories of a physics class she enrolled in Year 2 of the college program, where she was one of five students in the class. “The teacher would go through equations with us and made us come up with everything on our own.” The class was so productive that in the coming semester, all five students began an independent study in Physics.

Olivia credits BHSEC with making her into the writer she is today. “I came to BHSEC terribly shy, a good student but not really knowing how to study, how to sit down, and how to write a rough draft of an essay and fix it.” Through BHSEC, she honed her skills; this became apparent when she enrolled at Columbia University. As an example, Olivia excelled in a writing intensive class. Olivia recalls that after the first essay was assigned, the professor called her into his office because she had gotten the only A+ in the class. “He said, ‘I know you haven’t learned all of this in college, what high school did you come from?’ He was really impressed.“

Since September of 2012, Olivia has worked at the Columbia Lab for Vision and Graphics. In the summer of 2013, she began doing independent research at the lab. Her research focuses on approximating the curvature of animal eyes. “The original work at the lab focused on human eyes in images—how to map the reflections in the eyes into a whole new image that could then be used for all sorts of different purposes. Now I’m researching the same question using animal eyes. Specifically, I’m focusing on how to approximate the curvature of an unknown eye shape in order to map the reflection on it.”

Olivia believes her solid grounding in the liberal arts and sciences during her time at BHSEC has set her up for a successful career in the sciences. “It’s really important for students to learn as much as they can in as wide a breadth of subjects and for as long as possible. Science isn’t absolute—you have to dissect arguments, you have to read critically, you have to write scientific papers, you have to communicate with people. You can’t do that without a liberal education.”

For Olivia and her friends BHSEC has been “an incredible, life-changing experience.”

Sherman Fabes earned his associate in arts degree from BHSEC Manhattan in 2009 and a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a dual emphasis in broadcast journalism and strategic communication from the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri in 2013.

The week following his graduation from the University of Missouri’s nationally ranked Missouri School of Journalism, Sherman started his job at the MLB Network, an American television sports channel dedicated to baseball. At the MLB Network, Sherman produced and edited montages, essay features, high-end teases, on-air talent segments, highlights, sound packages and miscellaneous production elements, for various shows. In June 2015, Sherman won an Emmy Award for his work on MLB Tonight. MLB Tonight was recognized by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as Outstanding Daily Sports Studio Show in 2015.

Currently, Sherman is an associate producer for the CBS Sports Network, where he works on National Football League, college football, and college basketball coverage. He has been an integral part of the launch of Time to Schein, a sports talk show with host Adam Schein.

To this day, Sherman says the most difficult challenge he ever faced was getting through high school.

“I went to BHSEC because my parents thought it would be good for me. I had been deemed ‘practically illiterate’ by grade school and middle school teachers, and was a self-described sports nerd. I was forever playing catch up when it came to schoolwork. While I strongly disliked reading and writing, I loved being able to express my opinions.

It was at BHSEC that I actually learned how to read, write, think, and cogently and persuasively express my opinions. The majority of credit for these accomplishments goes to my 9th-grade English professor and BHSEC’s founding principal, Ray Peterson. The lasting effects of my BHSEC education cannot be overemphasized.”

Sherman transferred all of his credits to the University of Missouri, which allowed him to take full advantage of what the university had to offer. He explained, “Although I walked out of BHSEC with a GPA closer to 1.0 than to 4.0, the critical thinking skills and study skills I acquired at BHSEC made it possible for me to thrive at the Missouri School of Journalism and win an Emmy Award ridiculously early in my career.”

Sherman expressed his belief that the best reporters, producers, journalists, and communicators are well-rounded. He explained: “Being well-rounded is not about the amount of activities and organizations you have on a resumé, but rather the leadership roles you take on in your life and your commitment and engagement with the things you love to do. I learned all about leadership and community engagement at Mizzou. Without BHSEC, my ability to engage and assume leadership roles at college would not have been possible.”

BHSEC helped Sherman achieve his dream job. “It has been my dream to be engaged in the sports field for as long as I can remember, and, while I didn’t understand BHSEC’s impact on me at the time, looking back, I fully credit BHSEC for helping me develop so many of the skills I needed to make my dream come true,” he said.

Xavier is a rising year two student at BHSEC Queens and anticipates graduating in the spring of 2014. When Xavier came to BHSEC, he found himself in an exciting, lively environment. “My old school was 100 percent African American, so coming to BHSEC and finding a melting pot of all races and backgrounds was so wonderful. I had never experienced that before.”

For BHSEC students, thinking does not occur within the confines of classroom walls. “We’re on the train and we’re talking about Socrates—discussion over a point made by a professor never stays in the classroom.” According to Xavier, students at BHSEC truly love learning. “We all share that common ground, we all love learning. You couldn’t thrive here without it. When you have that love for learning, it doesn’t matter what the subject is because all subjects come together in some shape or form.”

BHSEC’s small, intensive classes were key to Xavier’s academic success. He considers BHSEC to be a place where intellectual discussion is of paramount importance, and a place where faculty and students see each other as equals. “Professors are engaging us and having a discussion with us like we’re peers.”

Xavier’s love for learning mirrors his love for the community. He has been an active member of the BHSEC community. Just to name a few areas of involvement, he has served as a peer tutor, peer mediator, student ambassador, is the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, and serves as the Class of 2014 administrative liaison.

One of the accomplishments Xavier feels most proud of is the BHSEC Diversity Initiative. Xavier saw that the school could do more to promote diversity, and so he stepped up to the plate and took initiative by himself. Xavier approached the director of admission and expressed his interest in starting a diversity initiative. “I had no idea where to begin but I knew I wanted something to happen.” In a short time, the program got rolling. “We started calling schools, focusing on the seventh grade. We started doing site visits and, beginning this fall, we’re going to assess the students.”

Xavier is excited to attend a liberal arts college like BHSEC in the near future. He intends to major in political science and communications at a four-year institution.