A charter school co-founded by UC Berkeley and Aspire Public Schools will graduate its first class of seniors tomorrow – all 17 of them. The California College Preparatory Academy, or CAL Prep as many like to call it, was founded in 2005 and the first graduating class is small.

But what distinguishes the 17 students who wear a cap and gown tomorrow is that every single one was accepted into a four-year college. In fact, it’s a requirement for graduation.

CAL Prep’s seniors were accepted to UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, Cal-Poly and Chico State, to name a few.

Graduating senior and valedictorian Natassija Jordan will be attending UC Berkeley this fall. “Going to UC Berkeley is something I had wanted since elementary school,” said Jordan. “I love the campus.”

Jordan is the daughter of parents who met at Cal, but many of her classmates will be the first in their families to go to college. UC Berkeley NewsCenter profiled several CAL Prep seniors in a recent article.

“CAL Prep’s students are roughly 40 percent African American, 57 percent Latino and 4 percent Asian/Pacific Islander,” wrote Carol Ness. “About half are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch. Almost three-quarters have parents who did not graduate from college.”

In its six years of operation, CAL Prep has surpassed California standards for excellence on the Academic Performance Index, according to Christine Schneider, a spokesperson for Aspire Public Schools.

UC Berkeley faculty and students were a big part of the CAL Prep community, said Jordan, recalling classes and tutoring sessions.

“It’s actually kind of sad to be leaving,” said Jordan of  finishing high school and moving on to college. “We became more of a family.”

Graduation takes place Sunday, Jun 12, 2011 from 2 -4 p.m. at Pauley Ballroom on UC Berkeley campus.

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