With 15 years of academic excellence, Self Development Academy (SDA) has a lot to celebrate.
Self Development Schools proudly announces the extraordinary achievements of some of its former and present students. These students have not only received honors for their academic achievements, but also excelled in other areas of interest, such as football, swimming and violin.
The buzz among parents, educators and community leaders is if you want a strong academic foundation for your students, enroll them in Self Development Schools, which includes the preschool program and the kindergarten through grade eight charter school. Considered one of the very best schools in Arizona, SDA is well known for its rigorous curriculum and students’ academic achievements. Equally important is the culture of high expectations and nurturing, created by dedicated educators.
An indicator of a school’s success is how well students do upon moving on to high school and beyond. Alumni of SDA do very well after completing their education at our school.
Cade Cote began at Self Development Preschool when only 1 year old, and continued his education at SDA until eighth grade. Now, a senior at Williams Field High School, he is an outstanding academic scholar and a football star. Cade is the son of Mark and Sherri Cote, faculty members of SDA.
Cade credits SDA for his academic success. “Self Development Academy and Preschool are incredible schools that offer a top-notch education,” he said. “Both schools afforded me a stellar education for the 13 years I attended.”
Cade’s outstanding scholarly achievements have earned him many academic honors. His high grade point average, of above 4.2, and enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus and other AP courses, only tell a partial story. Cade has not only been recognized as an academic scholar, but also has received numerous accolades as a football player.
A recipient of more than $1.3 million in scholarship offers from more than half a dozen universities around the country, Cade was named First Team Scholar Athlete for the Valley of the Sun Chapter, which includes 184 high schools in Northern and Central Arizona. He is one of only 15 Arizona student-athletes recognized by Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation at this year’s annual award ceremony during Super Bowl celebrations.
Cade credits Self Development Schools for the role they played in guiding him to become a lifelong learner.
“After leaving Self Development and transitioning into the public school system, I easily adapted to the courses the high school offered. Throughout my four years [in high school], I have taken honors and AP courses in English, math and science. These courses have helped me to maintain a GPA of 4.0 and above while playing three sports. I have been offered full scholarships to play football at Princeton, Yale and Pac 12 schools. Recently, I have accepted an offer to play at Arizona State University, where I will attend in the fall.”
Emilia Yoon’s performance is another testimony for the culture of support provided at SDA. She currently is a freshman at Westwood High School. Emilia began SDA in kindergarten. As a seventh-grade student, she took rigorous eighth-grade courses offered at SDA. These courses included Algebra II and biology, as well as high school literature and analysis.
Besides maintaining her high grade point average, Emilia is an accomplished golfer and violinist. She began playing golf at age 4, and now is a member of Westwood’s Varsity Team. Emilia is a gifted violin player, an instrument she began playing at the age of 3. Recently, she placed third in the Music Teachers National Association strings competition.
At SDA, Emilia not only received a rigorous academic education, but also was encouraged and supported to continue her passion for violin and golf. Her teachers understood the need to accommodate the academic assignments, allowing Emilia to dedicate herself to violin.
Among our outstanding students is Jaytlin Collins. Attending since grade five, she currently is an eighth-grade student at SDA. In addition to her outstanding academic performance, Jaytlin is a gifted synchronized swimmer. A member of the Arizona Desert Dolphins, she competed in the Arizona Junior/Senior Championship this past January, in Tucson.
Jaytlin received five awards, placing first in solo, duet, team, combo and figures. She has been selected to try out to compete in the 2016 Junior World Championship. She has excelled in the sport of synchronized swimming while maintaining a high grade point average.
Self Development Schools’ mission is to nurture students’ curiosity, inspire students to develop intrinsic motivation to achieve scholarly potential, empower students to take ownership of their learning, foster passion for lifelong learning, and promote the merits of serving the community.
Self Development Academy will host a Middle School and High School Information Night, on March 5, at 6:30 p.m. Representatives from area high schools will be present.
For more information regarding Self Development Academy, call (480) 641-2640.