Alumni Spotlight: Herman Buckman
KIPP DC Graduate Earns Gates Millennium Scholarship, Heads to Oberlin College
Herman Buckman's journey through DC's charter school system shows the power of educational opportunity, family support, and unwavering determination.
The 18-year-old Southeast resident and KIPP DC College Preparatory Academy graduate is among 1,000 recipients nationwide of the prestigious 2025 Gates Millennium Scholarship, a full-ride award covering his undergraduate and postgraduate studies through his doctorate.
A KIPP DC Scholar Since Second Grade
Buckman's relationship with KIPP DC Schools began in second grade at KIPP DC Quest Academy and continued through middle school at KIPP DC Valor Academy before he entered the College Preparatory Academy. Throughout his time at KIPP DC, he distinguished himself as a scholar, athlete, and spoken word artist.
His accomplishments include:
Leading his school's track and field team to their first championship as a freshman
Placing third citywide with the 4×800 relay team
Becoming a finalist for DC Youth Poet Laureate
Placing in the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Words on Fire festival
Completing honors and AP courses alongside the school's Academy of Finance program
Finding Himself Through International Experience
A turning point came during his junior year when Buckman received a scholarship through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program to spend the 2023-2024 school year studying in Germany. Living with a host family and immersing himself in German culture allowed him to see beyond his immediate environment.
"Not every place has violence like the inner city," Buckman reflected. "It really just allowed me to put down my guard and be a little bit more vulnerable with myself and other people, to see parts of myself that if I was still in DC at that time, I probably would have missed."
The Support System That Made It Possible
Buckman credits his extended family for supporting his daily commutes from Anacostia to Northeast and helping him balance school, extracurriculars, and family responsibilities.
He also points to Patrick Wu, KIPP DC's director of college and career counseling and track coach, as a crucial mentor who provided guidance without pressure. "It was that constant choice," Buckman said. "Teenagers need that choice and a mentor who's going to push them when they do make that choice."
Wu sees something special in Buckman's approach to life: "Whatever opportunities come his way, he's willing to go for it. He's not afraid of failure because there's been plenty of things that he hasn't gotten, but he hasn't been discouraged. He just keeps on going."
Looking Ahead
This past fall, Buckman enrolled at Oberlin College in Ohio, where he began studying psychology and law. Beyond his undergraduate years, he envisions attending law school and eventually launching schools in DC and nationwide that expose young people to underrepresented white-collar career fields.
"We don't have too many Black psychologists and Black lawyers that come back to the school," he observed. "They don't tell us about their processes."
Buckman sees middle school as a critical intervention point. "If a kid gets through the ninth grade year, they'll most likely finish, right? But it really starts from that process of why they wouldn't get the ninth grade."
Herman Buckman's story exemplifies the mission of DC charter schools: providing students with the support, opportunities, and high-quality education they need to achieve their dreams and give back to their communities.
