Nothing is more thrilling than the beginning of a new school year—every campus is made more beautiful and exciting by its students, and Booker High is no exception. I love to see our Booker Babies back, a bit taller perhaps, maybe with updated hairstyles, or fresh new shoes, but all ready to participate in the vital and enthusiastic learning environment we’ve created at Booker High School. This year, we have so much more to offer as we continue to embolden our students to soar to new heights, and I’m excited to share our initiatives. First, we have partnered with The Community Foundation of Sarasota and Take Stock in Children to roll out our Booker Promise, a research-based financial support system for students who qualify. The Booker Promise, which is available to incoming ninth-graders who are eligible at graduation, will fund their college educations and is a bold new step in the mission of ensuring that 100 percent of our students graduate college or career ready. The mission has been accomplished—our students are defying statistics and succeeding beyond expectations. But for too many of our students, this educational dream ends here; the costs of college are enormous, and too many of our students simply do not have the economic means to commit to a college education. The Booker Promise will remove these financial barriers and allow us to provide our students with the means to pursue their dreams and change the trajectory of their lives.