Lincoln Students Make the Grade, Earn Jackets

Almost 100 Lincoln High School students received newly designed academic jackets and patches at a special ceremony Thursday night to symbolize continuing efforts by teachers and administrators to turn around the long-troubled inner-city school.

The jackets are part of Lincoln’s PREP program (Preparation to Reach College through Excellence and Perseverance), sponsored by the Girard Foundation, a nonprofit organization set up to boost student achievement in San Diego County.

Principal Ruby Cremaschi-Schwimmer, now in her third year at Lincoln, has placed equal focus on a safe, orderly learning environment--with new fences, paint jobs and security officers--as well as a more rigorous curriculum, including four years of English, math and foreign language.

The task has not been without rough spots, but the Thursday ceremony highlighted to many in the Southeast community how far the school has come in making academics more popular.

“At first I wanted the jacket because it was free,” said senior Michelle Johnson. “But then I developed good work habits by doing homework and being in class. . . . I also developed confidence in myself that made me want to aim even higher and go on to college.”

The jackets were awarded to 65 juniors and seniors who achieved grade point averages between 3.33 and 4.0. In addition, 45 sophomores received certificates for high scholastic performance, becoming eligible for jackets next year. Cremaschi-Schwimmer said the honored students included blacks, Latinos and Laotians as part of her effort to improve academic performance of all students.

Also, the Girard Foundation last month paid for Lincoln students to take a preparation course before taking the SAT college board test. The Princeton Review course, one of the nation’s best-known SAT preparation seminars, is taken regularly by college-bound students in suburban areas.