Uplift Education takes Senior Decision Day Celebration to a Virtual Platform

    DALLAS, TX, May 19, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- One of the most exciting and honored traditions at Uplift Education for the past decade has been our College Signing Day. Typically, this day brings together more than 8,000 scholars, staff, parents and leaders to celebrate our seniors as they announce their intentions for life after graduation. It is something that we all look forward to each year.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we had to reimagine this year's event. Uplift is proud to announce that we will be producing and broadcasting, our first ever virtual Senior Decision Day and you are invited to watch on Wednesday, May 20th, at 6:30 p.m.! We are thrilled to be able to offer a revised version of our traditional College Signing Day – now called Senior Decision Day - to celebrate this class of graduates. Our seniors will announce their plans for college, career or military service through creative video clips. We will also have shout-outs from local and national celebrities as well as a message from our CEO, Yasmin Bhatia. While we cannot match the energy of our live event, we are excited to watch the creativity and enthusiasm unfold in our broadcast. A link to our Senior Decision Day will be made available on May 20th at 6:30pm at www.uplifteducation.org/sdd. We will also broadcast virtually through YouTube and Facebook Live. If you are unable to watch the video live, do not worry, you can watch it afterwards on our website or social media pages.

This year's senior class has faced more challenges than any other class in Uplift history. Not only have they had to adapt to online learning, but they have had to accept the fact that long-awaited traditions such as prom, graduation, and College Signing Day would not happen as expected. We could not be more proud of the way this class has maintained their academic goals, often while working to help support their family. They have also shown amazing creativity and enthusiasm as they have built new traditions and memories for their senior year.

We encourage the community to post to social media using the hashtag #UpliftSDD congratulating and supporting our seniors. While we all adapt to this "new normal", we are confident that our seniors are equipped with a solid, globally focused academic background, key critical thinking skills, and strong leadership abilities.

Uplift students graduate at a rate four times the national average of their peers and more than twice the average of students in the state of Texas. 100% of Uplift's eligible high schools were named among the Best High Schools in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report for 2020. All of our schools were within the top 12%.

Quotes from Uplift Williams Scholars:

"I've been with Uplift Williams since kindergarten and they have helped me achieve a dream: graduating high school. As a first-generation student, this process is all new, but my teachers have helped me all the way. We have a good support system academically, but they also helped us grow as individuals."

--Magdalena Cibrian

A few quotes from prominent individuals in our community who will be participating in our event are below:

Cynt Marshall - CEO of the Mavericks, shout-out, "Congratulations Class of 2020. You have achieved a significant milestone in your journey of education and self-discovery, we are so proud of you. In spite of everything that is going on right now in this world, you stayed focused, you did not get distracted, you persevered and look where you are right now. Thank you for letting us be a part of this amazing virtual celebration of what you have achieved."

Commissioner - Mike Morath … "I know this wasn't the College Signing Day event you had planned, to be together with friends, to celebrate the accomplishments of the last 13 years, but you are ready and prepared for the next journey in life."

Michael Young - Texas Rangers Hall of Famer … "It's this incredible journey that you have been on this entire time, through your senior year of high school, not just the beginning. Think about the entire process and the journey that got you to this point… I know your family is proud of you, your schools are proud of you. The future is incredibly bright for all of you."

For the third consecutive year, Pizza Hut awarded the $25,000 Life Unboxed Scholarship to an Uplift senior, and during our event will honor this year's recipient, Mimi Beregen. Cristi Lockett, Pizza Hut's Chief People Officer said, "Throughout the application and interview process, the entire scholarship committee was beyond impressed by Mimi's commitment to her community and education. We're confident Mimi will continue to lead in all aspects, which is one of the many reasons why Pizza Hut is proud to support her with this scholarship."

Uplift Education

Uplift Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of teachers, families, and, most importantly, students. With a network of 43 college preparatory, public charter schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Uplift offers students of any background the powerful chance to study within a multidisciplinary curriculum and prepare for the college or career they deserve. Uplift is the largest International Baccalaureate (IB) district in Texas and the #2 IB district in the nation because of the number of holistic extracurricular and educational programs. The incredible educators in the Uplift network guide and teach nearly 20,000 students in Pre-K- 12th grades, with the majority being low-income and minority students who will be the first in their family to attend college. For more information Uplift's mission and its blind lottery selection system, visit uplifteducation.org or facebook.com/uplifteducation.

# # #