What’s Most Important? Student Athletes and Grades
Mia Strickland
Grade 8
Capital City Public Charter School
At some point over the years we’ve all read about the question of grades and student athletes: should they have to get a certain grade point average in order to play, how does a school best serve these students, how should school prepare them for life as an adult? You probably have an opinion.
So does Mia Strickland, a vivacious Capital City Charter School eighth grader whom I met at the One World Education (OWEd) Student 
Ambassador orientation night. She was comfortable and enthused to talk to me about her experience with OWEd’s writing program.
Mia’s topic was student athletes and the tension surrounding those who struggle with their grades. After researching what NCAA does as well as numerous other sources she excitedly explained, “I think students should not be penalized for their grades. They should have consequences like having to go to homework club or one-on-one time with a teacher, but don’t take them off the team and take away something they love. That takes away the motivation they have to keep coming to school. I think a student’s emotions and their path should be taken into account, not just the grades.”
She said, “The (One World Education) process was better than other writing programs! We do a lot of drafts at our school. I’m a perfectionist so I liked that we had to do multiple drafts (with OWEd) but we did them in our Student Notebook, which led us through all the different steps. I liked how it was laid out.”
Now Mia is a One World Education Student Ambassador. Only about 20 students are chosen each year from the thousands of DC public and charter school students who participate in the research and writing program. These elite students have the opportunity to get their writing published and aligned with curriculum, serving as a learning tool for other students who use the program in coming years.