Photo: (Get Schooled)
You may know Kendrick Lamar as MTV's "Hottest MC in the Game," but do you know the 25-year-old rapper was the first person in his family to graduate from high school?! With a 4.0?! It's no wonder he has a way with words!
Last Friday, Kendrick visited Mount Pleasant High School in Providence, Rhode Island, to chat about education and recognize the students' achievements in the Get Schooled Foundation's National Attendance Challenge. With 7.5 million students in the U.S. missing a month or more of school every year, MPHS' student body stood out to organizers by increasing their attendance by 4.08 percent! The feat earned them a stop on the Get Schooled Victory Tour, and a visit from Kendrick and "106 & Park" co-hosts Shorty and Paigon.
As principal for a day, Kendrick noted the importance of education in all walks of life. "Without education you don't have anything," he said. "My teachers were great positive influences in my life. My middle school English teacher was probably the reason I became a rapper. He used to encourage me to write poetry and would challenge me, which helped me improve my vocabulary and made me enjoy writing."
Kendrick then used his principal powers to assign a school-wide 40-page paper. Kidding! Students participated in a Dougie dance-off before being treated to a special screening of "The Great Gatsby." Damn. Who needs weekends with weekdays like that?!
In just two years, Get Schooled has engaged more than 2.5 million young Americans by making education fun and rewarding. Take action below to Get Schooled today!