Mastery seniors announce their next stops

SENIOR Alexa Moore remembers when, as an underclassman, she'd watch Mastery Charter School seniors cheer on the next chapters in their lives, college, military service or trade schools.

"When you're up there watching, you kind of get bored because you're not the person that's celebrating," said Moore, 18, who will soon graduate from Mastery Charter School/Lenfest Campus.

Yesterday it was her turn and that of about 564 other Mastery seniors to embrace their new chapters at the annual Mastery College Signing Day held at Temple University's Liacouras Center.

Their names and chosen schools flashed on screens inside the sports venue. The students sat on the floor, arranged by schools, while an estimated 4,000 people watched from above. And the seniors cheered when one of a bevy of administrators called out the names of their colleges, technical schools or military service.

Moore will attend Bloomsburg University in Columbia County.

"It was all about us," said Moore, of Germantown. "We really enjoyed it. You can't sit back and be bored. You can't sit back and just not listen, because it's about us, so you have no choice but to listen."

Of Mastery Schools' seniors, 96 percent got into a four-year college, military, trade school or two-year school, officials said. Seniors received $18 million in scholarships.

This was the event's third year. Scott Gordon, CEO of Mastery Schools, said the idea came from the celebrated announcements surrounding athletes signing to play for colleges.

"We think we should be celebrating young people who have made the decision to go onto higher education and who have put their all into succeeding here at Mastery," said Gordon.

It was Yvette Plant Moore, Alexa's mother, who thought to have her daughter apply to Mastery's Lenfest Campus, which she called "a more structural school."

Plant Moore called yesterday's signing day "joyful, a tearful moment."

"She has a good head on her shoulders, so I'm not worrying about her going away," Plant Moore said. "But I'll miss her to death.M

Online: ph.ly/DNEducation