Paul Cuffee Upper School

Paul Cuffee Upper School

Paul Cuffee School, a K-12 public charter school of choice, educates a diverse community of students from Providence, Rhode Island. In the spirit of Paul Cuffee’s life, we teach students to value and practice personal initiative, perseverance, and social responsibility. All of these qualities were put to the test for students this year, especially our graduating seniors. The Paul Cuffee class of 2020 experienced a senior year unlike any other- cut short just before that time of year when, "I am graduating" sinks in and becomes reality. No prom, no senior trip, no senior dinner or portfolio presentations, and certainly no deafening applause as they walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. However, despite this and because of this, our class of 2020 was able to show amazing grit and resilience in order to pass their classes and earn their diplomas with a drive-through graduation ceremony! This class has truly exemplified what it means to be committed to academic and personal growth, as well as a willingness to look outside themselves to find opportunities to make meaningful impacts in their communities (small and large). It was with this in mind that their History teacher, Griffin Quirk, asked them to complete their final project- a reflective essay on what "I am Paul Cuffee 2020" means to them. Here is a collection of some of those responses, unedited or redacted...personal and raw but, most importantly, honest

Providence, RI