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From Struggling Student to Full-Ride to College
Angel Gonzalez started at Rochester Prep as a neurodivergent learner who was also learning English. Now he's head headed to college.
Angel Gonzalez started at Rochester Prep in 7th grade as a neurodivergent learner who was also learning the English language.
“I had to get used to the fact that I might not learn the same way as other students,” Gonzalez said.
He is exactly the type of student who flourishes at a place like Rochester Prep High School. Gonzalez graduates next month and is heading to Colgate University with a Questbridge scholarship that will pay all costs for the entire four years, becoming the first person in his family to go to college.
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“Being able to show my siblings that I made it makes me happy,” Gonzalez said.
Rochester Prep is a K-12 charter school with more than 2,500 students in Rochester. It is part of Uncommon Schools, one of New York’s most successful charter networks. The mission of Uncommon Schools is to prepare students to enter into, succeed in, and graduate from college.
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The school starts in Kindergarten, with classrooms named after colleges to introduce students to the idea that college can be a destination for them. With highly trained teachers, Rochester Prep students in grades 3-8 exceeded the district average by three times in reading and five times in math.
More than 90% of Rochester Prep’s Class of 2023 are headed to college, some to the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities, including Notre Dame, University of Chicago, Syracuse University, and Rochester Institute of Technology.
Nearly 90% took at least one Advanced Placement class, many times the national rate, and almost one third passed at least one AP exam. Nationally fewer than 40% of high school students take an AP class.
Gonzalez credits his teachers with providing the support that he needed to succeed.
“Having the ability to come to school everyday knowing your teachers have your back no matter what - I’d go to teachers to talk about my feelings, I’d be honest about my life. I see Rochester Prep as a family,” he said.
At Rochester Prep, Gonzalez felt seen, he said. He joined Rochester Prep’s Gender Sexuality Alliance during his junior year and is now the club’s leader.
“He’s genuinely kind,” said Ted Eckert, the principal of Rochester Prep. “Every room or space is better because of him being there.”