Raise a Glass: The Kindergarten Graduates of Gateway STEM Academy

A reflection from Steve Paprocki, President Emeritus of Access Philanthropy

When I graduated from kindergarten in 1958, my biggest concern was whether I could make it home before the streetlights came on.

The kindergarten graduates of Gateway STEM Academy face the same everyday hopes and worries that most 5- and 6-year-olds do. But many of these Somali children are also growing up aware of the challenges of living in a community where they can feel different from many of their neighbors.

Then something happened that no kindergartner should ever have to experience. The day after their graduation, the President of the United States shared an anti-"woke" social media post that featured Gateway STEM Academy, thrusting these children and their school into a national political controversy.

No child should have to wonder what the President of the United States thinks of them.

My admiration goes to those children, their families, their teachers, and the Somali community organizations that responded with dignity, strength, and determination to stand behind these 21 young graduates. The Kindergarten Class of 2026 should be remembered not for being caught in someone else's political message, but for what they truly accomplished: taking their first step in a lifetime of learning.

The next time you're with friends, raise a glass to the kindergarten graduates of Gateway STEM Academy, Class of 2026. May they grow up knowing they are valued, welcomed, and free to dream as big as any child should.

Read more about their story in the Sahan Journal.