CICS Longwood High School -

CICS Longwood High School Senior Victoria harbors big dreams of becoming a forensic psychologist. With a passion for murder mystery shows and podcasts, she discovered the field of forensic psychology as the perfect avenue to blend her interests with a meaningful career. To achieve this, Victoria has leveraged dual enrollment opportunities at Kennedy-King College and classes like OneGoal, gaining practical tools and vital insights to navigate the complexities of life after high school.

These experiences, combined with her innate curiosity cultivated over the years in a familiar and supportive environment—starting at the CICS Loomis-Longwood campus as a Kindergartener!—are what will propel her toward her degree. Victoria will be able to apply her natural curiosity and critical thinking skills to understanding complex human behavior, aspiring to one day be the expert whose work is highlighted in future podcasts, solving important cases!

Starting her career in Texas, CICS Longwood High School biology teacher Ms. Smith observed stark differences when she began teaching in urban Chicago. Yet, one constant resonated in both settings: students’ innate curiosity and desire to learn. Ms. Smith’s goal has always been to provide her students with the same opportunities you would find in highly-resourced school districts—a vision aligned to the school as a whole and Distinctive Schools’ community hubs model.

Thanks to generous donations of time and goods by community partners [fraternity name here], Ms. Smith’s classroom has been transformed. Fresh paint, new lab tables and chairs, and additional equipment like microscopes ensure every student that enters her classroom can have hands-on experiences critical to science fields, filled with inquiry and scientific investigation. From investigating plant cells to dissecting frogs, Ms. Smith knows her class is opening new pathways for her students’ futures.

With a lifelong love of cooking, CICS Longwood High School Sophomore Kai’Lel dreams of owning his own restaurant. His love began with his mom, helping her in the kitchen. At school, Kai’Lel can explore his passion even further through the Cooking Club. Last year’s Cooking Club held a pizza-making competition between students where the winning team’s recipe had the opportunity to have their pizza served for lunch! While Kai’Lel’s pizza wasn’t the winner, the experience fortified his passion even further and cultivated new relationships with his classmates.

Kai’Lel plans to pursue his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in culinary arts, directly leveraging the foundational skills and critical thinking he's gained in high school. CICS Longwood High School is nurturing his aspirations beyond academics, truly setting him up for life after graduation.