As the nation’s charter schools begin to see their first classes of students earn bachelor’s degrees, all eyes are on how many of those students are making it through to graduation. And the true testimonials of success come from the students who experienced the charter schools firsthand.

Nadirah Muhammad at her graduation from Spelman College in 2017. (Photo credit: Nadirah Muhammad)

Nadirah Muhammad is a 22-year-old graduate student at the New School in New York City, where she studies governance and security. She attended North Star Academy in Newark, N.J., a charter school in the Uncommon Schools network, and later graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga. Here, she discusses how she has wanted to work as a foreign service officer since she was a little girl, and how attending North Star and Spelman gave her the tools to continue to pursue her dreams.