Baltimore City Gifts
June 11, 2022 will mark a major turning point in my life. I started a journey with Baltimore City Public Schools some time ago - September 1999 - when my oldest child entered kindergarten at Roland Park Elementary Middle School. Three more Friedman children followed in Chloe’s footsteps.
Chloe, my oldest child, eventually made their way to City College High School and entered the full International Baccalaureate program which proved to be quite intense and that, coupled with their dislike of traditional learning, made for a rather challenging time. Chloe did have some good friendships that helped them stay the course. I was thrilled when Chloe graduated, onstage at the Meyerhoff, no less, and did understand when they declared that they no longer wanted to study anything ever again. Fortunately, Chloe had a great work experience in a wonderful hair salon in Baltimore for a couple of years after high school. Eventually they made their way to NYC and, in time, started taking classes at the Manhattan Community College where they excelled. This semester Chloe started at Hunter College and is currently pursuing a degree in Nutrition and Food Science (although that might change), just like their mom, and naturally I am delighted!
Rob, next in line, initially was not slated to attend Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, but at the very last moment, literally, got a reprieve, and was able to attend his top choice. Not chosen to be in the Ingenuity Program at Poly, he was a member of the first Poly cohort of “Project Lead the Way,” a national program that exposes students to all aspects of engineering. Rob, and a number of his friends, helped to create the Aquaponics Lab, still bubbling away at Poly. Rob managed to get into the University of Maryland, entering through Freshman Connection, and had to work very hard for two years before being accepted into the College of Engineering. He graduated last year and today he works in Canton for an engineering firm specializing in water projects. He lives near Patterson Park with two fellow BCPSS graduates.
My daughter, Julianne, attended the Baltimore School for the Arts where her discipline was stage tech. For years there were many plays and dance and music programs to attend in the glorious renovated Hotel Alcazar in Mount Vernon. There also was a lovely production at Hampton Mansion in Towson. Julianne, previously quite shy, worked to make new friends who were studying all sorts of arts, and the youngsters made their way to my home many afternoons and evenings. Julianne graduated onstage in the historic Alcazar Ballroom of BSA. Today, she attends Towson University and will graduate this summer. Julianne initially studied theater at Towson, then nursing and now will graduate with a degree in Geography and hopes to be gainfully employed in that before long.
All of this leads to Sarah, the baby, who will graduate shortly. Our family is so very fortunate that Sarah was able to study at City Neighbors High School. Project-based learning has been great for her and the school’s motto “Known, Loved, and inspired” has been such a wonderful constant while Sarah has attended CNHS. Sarah has had the opportunity to participate in such a wide variety of activities - volleyball, track, snowboard club, student government association, the week-long Civil Rights trip - and make so many lovely connections along the way. Sarah is an engaging and social individual and these strengths will guide her, I am confident, as she takes her next steps. I believe that her high school experience has given her the wings that she needs and she is well poised to begin the next phase of her life.
My family and I will be forever grateful to the Baltimore City Public School system. My children learned to learn with other great kids from all around Baltimore. There were many ups and downs as they moved through school, and a fair share of craziness. I have learned a lot. There have been some wonderful highs and there have been some very sad, tragic lows that have both shaped my children and given them a profound understanding about life. Perhaps this can be gained many places, but for sure it can be learned in an urban setting such as our challenged, lovely city. I am so proud of my children and so delighted with the friendships that they each formed while in high school. For me, that is what it is all about. My great hope is that what the Friedman Family has experienced can be replicated across this city and that every high schooler in Baltimore, and their family, can find a high school, a great one, as all high schools should be, that they will know as home.
Written by: Mary Hewes Friedman, Parent, City Neighbors High School