Running to Harvard

In many ways, Kellebrew blends in at David Douglas, a school with high rates of poverty. His parents split when he was 6, and his mother raised him mostly on her own. She earned a certificate to work as a medical assistant, but she never got a college degree. Money was tight.

Kellebrew assumed he'd go to Mt. Hood Community College and later transfer to a state university. "I didn't have a high goal," he says.

But Kellebrew—muscular and bespectacled, with red hair and freckles—is going to Harvard University. He's the first David Douglas student in recent memory to do so, according to the district. And he's going on close to a full scholarship. (Harvard declined to verify Kellebrew's achievement, saying it doesn't make admissions statistics public.)

Kellebrew was helped along by terrific grades (a 3.93 grade-point average) and speed: He's a track star, winning the 6A state title in the 800 meters in 2014, and placing third last month in the 2015 finals.

Even those qualities might not have been enough. Kellebrew is among a growing number of Oregon high-school students who have taken part in innovative and often aggressive programs aimed at lifting students' college goals.

Oregon's education system is, by many measures, a mess. The state lags in its financial support for schools. Its 72 percent graduation rate statewide consistently places Oregon near the bottom nationwide.

Every year, about 32,000 Oregon high-school students graduate, but only about 60 percent go to college. The path is even tougher for low-income students such as Kellebrew: Only about 8 percent ever graduate from college.

School districts desperate to propel more of their graduates into college are increasingly searching for ways to bring those numbers up. At Franklin High in Portland Public Schools, for example, the Advanced Scholar Program encourages students to load up on Advanced Placement classes, get involved in extracurricular activities and meet regularly with mentors—all with an eye toward success after high school.

Other districts are turning to outside, private organizations. One is College Possible, a nonprofit mentorship program that began operating in Oregon in 2012. It now partners with the Gresham-Barlow, Reynolds and Parkrose school districts and charges $20,000 per school to provide mentors for promising low-income students.

Another partner, David Douglas, serves the most impoverished population of Multnomah County's eight school districts. About 78 percent of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, compared to 42 percent in Portland Public Schools. Nonetheless, David Douglas students last year graduated at a higher rate, 74.1 percent, compared to 70.4 percent in PPS.

David Douglas students start College Possible in their junior year, meeting twice a week for a total of four hours—practicing standardized tests, learning financial literacy and navigating the intricacies of college financial aid.

Mentors also keep tabs on students once they're in college—key to the program's success. "It's one thing to get into college," says Julie Mancini, executive director of College Possible's Portland branch. "It's another thing to feel comfortable there, and to feel like you'll be successful."

That's why College Possible—which has so far worked with 300 Portland-area students—focuses on college completion rates, not just admissions.

"It's not about getting in," says Ken Thrasher, chairman of College Possible Portland's board. "It's about getting out."

For Kellebrew, the extra support has been life-changing. "It helped me realize the potential I had," he says.

Kellebrew's path to Harvard looks more like a hurdles race than a 100-meter sprint. He generated his own success with terrific grades, a calculator-quick mind and a philosophical bent, teachers say.

"He is quiet, unassuming, humble," says Aminah Ali, who was Kellebrew's teacher in AP psychology. "He never does anything to draw attention to himself other than his accomplishments."

Kellebrew excelled in track, although his family didn't have money for new equipment. He ran his sophomore year with holes in his shoes. "It didn't rain that much that season, so it was OK," he says.

David Douglas track coach Cameron Cross recalls a 1,600-meter relay in which Kellebrew was running the anchor leg. The David Douglas team was in third place and 20 meters behind after the third leg. What's worse, Kellebrew had a terrible cold. "Don't worry, coach," Cross recalls Kellebrew saying, "I'll chase them down, or I'll die trying."

When Kellebrew got the baton, he exploded, passing the leader after the first curve and running his 400-meter lap in a blazing 47.5 seconds. He finished almost two seconds ahead of the second-place team. "I went out fast," he says. "I don't know how I held on."

Financial aid from Harvard will help Kellebrew. His mother, Lisa, works as a special education assistant in Portland Public Schools, a job that pays between $15 and $19 an hour, and she has another child at home.

Tuition, fees, room and board at Harvard would otherwise cost $60,659 next school year. Kellebrew's scholarship means he will pay $1,600, plus perform $3,000 of work study. He will also run for the Harvard track team.

It's clear Kellebrew has little inkling of the doors Harvard can open for him. He says he's heard that having Harvard on his résumé will help him get a job.

"At least," he says, "you'll probably get an interview."

CORRECTION

WW incorrectly reported that David Douglas High senior Josh Kellebrew will be the first student from the Southeast Portland school to attend Harvard University. David Douglas officials believed that to be the case. As it turns out, at least two David Douglas graduates attended Harvard in the 1960s. WW regrets the error.

Miracle on 135th Avenue: An Update

IN 2013, when WW wanted to understand the experience of immigrants in public schools, we went to David Douglas High, where more than 50 languages are spoken among its 2,800 students. Never a wealthy district, David Douglas has nonetheless helped immigrant students thrive as they learn English and adjust to an American school. To do that, we followed then-sophomore Hae Nay Paw ("Miracle on 135th Avenue," WW, Feb. 13, 2013).

Hae Nay immigrated to Portland in 2010 after living in a Thai refugee camp. She arrived knowing only two words in English and few people outside her family who spoke her native language, Karen.

On June 11, Hae Nay will graduate from David Douglas—but not before delivering one of the commencement speeches. School officials say she will be the first refugee student to do so.

In our 2013 story, Hae Nay longed to move beyond basic English courses for immigrants and participate in mainstream classes. She accomplished that last year, allowing her to broaden her academic and social experiences.

Hae Nay has volunteered with the Youth Action Council, which works on mental health issues and suicide prevention among teens. Her work—and her own experience as a refugee—has inspired her to pursue nursing. In September, she will enter Warner Pacific College in Southeast Portland to study health sciences.

She says she auditioned to be a speaker at David Douglas' 2015 commencement because she didn't hear many students talking about gratitude.

"Most people in this school don't know how people are helping them," Hae Nay says. "They don't have the thankfulness. I wanted to bring that up. I think it is really important to thank people who have helped us. So I really want to do that." RACHEL GRAHAM CODY.

WWeek 2015