Frederick
Douglas Academy Prepares “Believers and Achievers”
By
Marie Holmes
Frederick
Douglas Academy (FDA) doesn’t much stand out from the housing
projects and scaffolding that surround it, looking more like a
public building than the private high schools to which it is constantly
compared. Hanging inside the entryway are several full-length
mirrors and signs reading, “Dress for Success.” Other schools
might balk at the idea of providing self-conscious teenagers with
mirrors to primp in before class, but at FDA the mirrors remind
students that upon entering school grounds they are expected to
portray an image of academic and personal achievement. Dressed
in pressed white shirts and navy skirts and slacks, the students
fill the school with a buzz of excitement, almost as though they
were all leaving for college tomorrow.
Lorraine
Monroe’s Legacy
“FDA
was always my first choice,” says Anthonia Seriki, who will be
heading off to Syracuse University this fall to study physical
therapy after she graduates Frederick Douglas Academy this month.
Like
many other families in Harlem and throughout the city, Seriki
and her parents were drawn by “the enrichment and opportunities”
FDA offers.
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