Metro high school sees every one of nearly 500 seniors headed to college

SOUTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Every senior at a South Fulton County high school has been accepted into college!

Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes talked to some of the nearly 500 graduates from Westlake High School, who worked hard to make it to where they are today.

The senior class told Fernandes that the last weeks of school were rough as COVID-19 forced them to learn from home. They had no prom, no graduation, and then the county reached a boiling point with police brutality and racial inequality.

But for senior Julia Seay, all the turmoil was motivational.

"With everything going on, it's kind of motivating me honestly, because we’re seeing all these protests and everything, people are finally standing up," Seay said. "And its like, now that they stand up we have this attention to represent who we are as a race."

The Westlake graduates are now headed to Ivy League schools, historically black colleges and universities and some state schools.

"I will take the pride of Westlake with me, because I know if I can get through this, I can definitely get through a career, especially going to my school," Chloe Sneed said.

The school has seen much improvement in recent years. After receiving a failing grade 3 years in a row from 2012-2014, it has been on the rise ever since. In 2015, 2016 and 2018 the school received a C. In 2017 and 2019, they received a B. This year, they’re sending every single senior to college.

In a previous version of this story we neglected to include that the failing grades came back in 2012 - 2014. Since then, and prior to that, the school had much higher grades. We apologize for the omission and regret that it overshadowed an incredible accomplishment for Westlake High School.

Nearly all of the teens Fernandes talked to had nothing but respect for their fellow classmates -- and high hopes for their futures.

"We are proud, respectful, involved, dedicated and enthusiastic," one student said.

“We are the leaders of the new revolution,” another senior said.

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