When Shaka Bahadu was three years old, his parents took him to a local preschool to be tested for admission. Unfortunately, the toddler was not accepted. "I was supposed to put together a puzzle but I refused," Shaka explains nearly twenty years later. "I’m not exactly sure why. I guess I wasn’t in the mood at the moment."

A friend steered Shaka’s parents in the direction of the Academy, where either Shaka was in a better mood during his admissions test or Molly McDermott, the admissions director, saw beyond the recalcitrance of a three-year-old to Shaka’s immense potential. Shaka began his GPA odyssey in the Early School and ended as student council president his eighth grade year. He became interested in student government in fourth grade and served as a student representative every year until his eighth grade year, when he ran for the office of president.
In addition to student government, Shaka was very active in athletics at the Academy, participating in soccer, basketball and tennis every year during middle school. He performed well academically, although he describes himself as "a late bloomer." When he was in third grade, his mother passed away, and Shaka went through a rough two years. "I didn’t pull myself out of it until about half way through fifth grade," he recalls, “but the teachers were very understanding. I could talk to them about how I felt and they were totally cool with it."

Shaka went on to University Liggett School for high school, where he felt "tremendously prepared. I walked into Liggett and got into every advanced and honors class I could get into. I really wanted to continue the work ethic I had learned at the Academy. I worked hard, and when I got to high school I kept going. I wanted to continue everything I had done at the Academy."

When it came time to apply to college, Shaka originally had his sights set on Stanford. Harvard "was supposed to be a long shot," he says. When he got in, it was a tough decision. Ultimately he decided on Harvard. "You don’t say no to the big ‘H’!" he jokes. Harvard also offered him a financial aid package he couldn’t refuse. As far as his college experience is concerned, Shaka says "it was rough at first, but it was exactly where I needed to be. I’ve learned how to think independently, which is the most important part.” While at Harvard, Shaka was elected First Class Marshal of the Class of 2004, which essentially makes him class president for life. He majored in Biological Anthropology, studying the evolution of human nature, and, as a pre-med student, took a heavy load of science courses. This latter has aptly prepared him for his current endeavor. Upon graduating, Shaka signed up for Teacher America, a non-profit organization that selects recent college graduates to teach at inner city schools where they are most needed.

"Science was by far my favorite class at the Academy," Shaka says. "Now I am teaching eighth grade science to inner city youth in Miami." Shaka truly believes in the mission of Teacher America, which is "for every child to have the opportunity to receive an excellent education. The concept behind it is to give emerging leaders of this country - future politicians, business people, lawyers and doctors - practical experience in our educational system to see where the flaws and benefits are, so that one day when we are in the position to make changes, we can."

Following this two-year commitment, Shaka plans to apply to medical school, where he will continue the educational experience that began at the Academy Early School. Says Shaka: "The Academy prepared me academically, socially, emotionally, and mentally. It was by far the best educational experience I’ve had so far - including Harvard."