Shakesphere and his Posse

Marcus performing his Sonnet

 The English-Speaking Union of New York held the finals of its 31st annual Branch Shakespeare Competition this month at the Morgan Library and Museum. The event was part of the 2013 English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition.  New Design's own Marcus Omowale of New Design High School placed 2nd in the competition; he received $250 from the Shakespeare Society and tickets to the Theatre for a New Audience’s Much Ado About Nothing.  He beat out students from some of the top theater high schools in the city.

Marcus has been on a role this month recently accepted to the Posse Program.  Posse is one of the most competitive, comprehensive and well-known college access and youth leadership development programs in the United States.  The program gives full scholarships to students at prestigious colleges and universities that host them.  Students receive support and leadership training with other "posse" students in the hopes that students will not only graduate from college  but also serve as a catalyst for increased individual and community development.

Marcus will be our first posse student but we expect many more to come in the following years.  100% of New Design graduates were accepted to colleges and universities from the class of 2012.  We will have similar numbers this year with the class of 2013.  Acceptances are still coming in but we have already had students accepted to a large number of schools including Beloit College, Ithaca College, City College, Sage College, Alfred State, Buffalo State, Baruch College, Queens College, Hunter College, Brooklyn College, Purchase College and SUNY Purchase, Geneseo, Oswego, and Cobleskill.  Our design interested students have also been accepted to a number of art and design based schools including Parsons, FIT, SVA and Pratt.  

Big Congrats to Kwan H. who became the first New Design student ever accepted to the Macaulay Hunters College program. The program is unbelievably competitive with less than 20% of applicants being accepted. Kwan will be receiving 100% free tuition, a new laptop and $7,500 a year stipend.

Kwan H is off to Hunter Next Year