Last week, East High School — and education in general — got
a celebrity endorsement.
As part of Get Schooled’s National Challenge and Tour,
R&B performer Ciara, MTV veejay Quddus, and rising star K.
Michelle surprised students with a mini-concert and the message
that education matters.
Get Schooled, founded by Viacom and the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, aims to increase high school and college
graduation rates. Motivated by statistics that show a high school
student drops out every 26 seconds, Get Schooled uses stars
such as Ludacris and John Legend to get students’ attention.
Though the delivery was light-hearted, the agenda was serious.
The three entertainers explained how education helped
them, even in talent-driven careers.
“If I didn’t have math, I wouldn’t know how to count my
money,” Ciara pointed out. She urged the students (to thunderous
applause) to set goals for themselves and to work hard to
achieve them.
“It would mean so much to me,” she said, “but it would
mean so much more to you.”
Native Memphian K. Michelle underlined her experience, telling
students that they could become successful if she could.
Quddus offered some practical advice. “Go to class,” he said.
“It’s the first and easiest thing you can do.”
The students responded to each piece of advice with the same
enthusiasm they’d shown when the stars were introduced. And
that’s all part of the plan: Once Get Schooled generates interest, students are directed to a webpage where they can watch videos from the show, post pledges and success stories, and find tools for college funding.
