Anthony Claytor is the first student to graduate college after attending LeBron James’ I Promise School. The 21-year-old received a Bachelor of Arts in criminology and justice studies with a minor in sociology from Kent State University. His career goal is to become a Secret Service agent.

“If it wasn’t for the LeBron James Family Foundation, I don’t know if I would have gone to college,” Claytor said, according to CNN. “I don’t know where I would be.”

“If I went … somewhere else, I wouldn’t have been able to live on campus and meet new people, develop relationships or join organizations. I really enjoy being able to do that at Kent State,” he added.

“There was more help financially, specifically with tuition and books,” Claytor said. “These programs also provided me access to different scholarships and internships. Overall, it made campus a lot easier to navigate.”

In 2020, 193 students were given four years of free tuition to attend Kent State University. Financial help also included a year of room and board.

Claytor was part of the inaugural class of the I Promise School, which opened in 2018 with the goal of offering education and opportunities to children from low-income families in Northeast Ohio. According to the I Promise website, the program served over 1,300 students in the Akron area.

The news comes months after eighth graders at the school were reported to have failed Math 3 years in a row, as previously reported by Blavity.

Anthony ClaytorgraduationI Promise SchoolKent State UniversityLeBon James