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KEYONNA, PREP PARENT

I am the proud parent of Keon Howard, High School Prep graduate of 2015. Keon is currently a sophomore marketing major at John Carroll University. He started Buffalo Prep the summer of his 7th-grade year and continues to stay connected to the program and the staff.

Keon has been a student athlete since the age of nine. When he was accepted into the Middle School Prep program, that posed a challenge for him. Buffalo Prep is very demanding and requires commitment and hard work in order to be successful. Combined with school and football, Prep was certainly overwhelming at times for both myself and Keon. One day at work, I reached into my bag to find a handwritten note from him. The note nicely detailed (in a format taught by Prep I should add) a complete argument as to why he didn't need Prep in his life. As a parent, I stress the importance of not giving up when things get tough; quitting was not an option. Buffalo Prep shares this same value, and they were a huge help in working with Keon to find the balance needed to pursue his passion on the field and with his education.

As Keon was preparing for his senior year in 2018, I was admitted to the hospital at least two to three times a week for an undiagnosed illness. This continued for the next two years. During this time, Buffalo Prep revealed to be so much more than just an academic program. Keon's Prep family was the driving force behind him successfully meeting his college deadlines, securing several scholarships, and maintaining his honor roll status during his final year of high school.

Buffalo Prep has, without a doubt, cultivated an environment to give minority students the skills, resources, and continued support needed to set them up for a successful life in and beyond the classroom. As a parent who understands and knows firsthand the hurdles that are set up for minorities, in particular black men, I wholeheartedly support and greatly appreciate Prep and all the efforts they put into place to even the playing field to help families secure excellent educational opportunities.

As a proud parent, I hope you will join me in supporting Buffalo Prep. Thank you for considering a donation to support future scholars.

KEON, HSP CLASS OF 2015

My name is Keon Howard, a proud Buffalo Prep graduate. The moment I stepped into the Prep building, my life changed.

At first, my Prep journey was really rough. Spending a summer learning about science, math, and English is not ideal for a 14-year-old kid, so I didn't do things to the best of my ability. I didn't understand that they were teaching more than just schoolwork; they taught me how to become a better person overall and prepared me for the future that awaited. One night, I stayed up until midnight writing my mother a letter telling her how much I wanted to quit Prep. She gave the letter to the Prep staff, and they had a meeting with me the same day. They told me that they knew it was challenging having to go to school all day, then having to come to Prep for three hours at night as well as having two sets of homework. But the main thing they said, which will stick with me forever, is: "This is what separates the great from the average." From that day on, this is how I look at Prep. When you walk in those doors, you are working to be the best person you can possibly be.

When my senior year came, I was so excited. I was so ready for the senior festivities and preparing for college. One day as I was leaving football practice, I noticed several missed calls from my dad and grandma. My mother was in the hospital. She was okay, but little did we know that this wasn't the end. She kept getting sick and had to go to the hospital multiples times a week. My mom has never missed a football game, a big event I was part of, or anything really that involved me; now she was missing all of it. There were times where I would have to watch my mother lay in the hospital bed crying because she was in so much pain, but sometimes she would just cry because she had been waiting for my senior year to experience these moments together.

Once Prep found out, they immediately took action. They made sure I had everything I needed to stay on track and apply for college. I was accepted into every college I applied to except for one, all thanks to Buffalo Prep helping me through the long, tedious process. I committed to play football for John Carroll University, and on my signing day, I looked into the crowd to see Mr. Johnson from Buffalo Prep there cheering me on. Even now, as a sophomore, Buffalo Prep is still a big part of my life. They always call and check on me, making sure I have everything I need to succeed. Without Buffalo Prep, I don't know where I would be.

Please join me and my mom in supporting future Prep scholars today.