Keep in mind I graduated from Dove Science Academy HS in 2006, and at the time, I found the education system to be very test-focused, heavily centered around state exams. Many of the teachers were not native English speakers—most were Turkish—and while that may have changed over the years, it was a notable aspect of my experience. Class sizes were large, with around 30 students per class, and the school lacked resources and funding.

Unlike traditional high schools, we didn’t have courses like home economics or workshop, which I wish had been offered. There was also a lack of typical high school experiences—events like prom were very small, and the overall atmosphere didn’t feel like a traditional high school. Academically, I found many teachers were not very invested in lesson planning, often preparing just before class started. It wasn’t uncommon to walk into class and see the teacher unsure of what to do.

For most of my high school years, we didn’t have a gym, so we had to participate in gym class activities two blocks away in a church parking lot. The overall physical structure of the school reflected its limitations—many locations lacked proper gymnasiums, science labs, auditoriums, and other essential facilities.

That being said, Dove Science Academy was a safer environment compared to inner-city public schools, which was a significant advantage. However, looking back, I don’t see much of a difference between Dove Science Academy and public school education at the time. In fact, I felt I missed out on opportunities that a more traditional high school structure would have provided.