LeBron James Celebrates First ‘I Promise School’ Graduate To Earn College Degree
Anthony Claytor is the first student to graduate college after attending LeBron James’ I Promise School. The 21-year-old received a Bachelor of Arts in criminology and justice studies with a minor in sociology from Kent State University. His career goal is to become a Secret Service agent.
“If it wasn’t for the LeBron James Family Foundation, I don’t know if I would have gone to college,” Claytor said, according to CNN. “I don’t know where I would be.”
“If I went … somewhere else, I wouldn’t have been able to live on campus and meet new people, develop relationships or join organizations. I really enjoy being able to do that at Kent State,” he added.
Remember in 2020 when @KentState guaranteed free tuition for 4 years + 1 year of room & board for @KingJames‘ first class of I Promise students that started this journey in 2011?
Today, we celebrate our very FIRST college graduate… Anthony Claytor! 🎓👑⚡️ #PromiseKept pic.twitter.com/DG41bQt9g5
— LeBron James Family Foundation (@LJFamFoundation) June 4, 2024
“There was more help financially, specifically with tuition and books,” Claytor said. “These programs also provided me access to different scholarships and internships. Overall, it made campus a lot easier to navigate.”
In 2020, 193 students were given four years of free tuition to attend Kent State University. Financial help also included a year of room and board.
Claytor was part of the inaugural class of the I Promise School, which opened in 2018 with the goal of offering education and opportunities to children from low-income families in Northeast Ohio. According to the I Promise website, the program served over 1,300 students in the Akron area.
The news comes months after eighth graders at the school were reported to have failed Math 3 years in a row, as previously reported by Blavity.
