Anthony McHenry’s journey to becoming the CEO of the Milwaukee Academy of Science is deeply connected to his upbringing. Having grown up in poverty and in a community that can be described as violent, he fully understood the challenges and pitfalls facing black children. After graduating from UW-Madison, he knew he wanted to serve kids who grew up in communities like his. He began working in a program that served juveniles that had been convicted of a crime.
“I watched kid after kid make incredible changes to become model citizens in this program, only to drop out or do poorly in school,” said McHenry. “Knowing that school was the key to opening up opportunities for children, I changed careers and became a teacher.”
This change in career path found him serving in the school setting for several years before returning to the social service field. “Those years proved to be a turning point as I watched hundreds of low-income kids become high character teenagers, only to become low-income adults because of the failing schools they attended,” said McHenry. After 17 years serving the Westlawn community, he was approached about the opportunity to become CEO of Milwaukee Academy of Science.
The mission of the Milwaukee Academy of Science, an exemplary leader in STEM education, is to graduate urban students prepared to complete successfully at the post-secondary level. The academy’s popularity consists of 99% African Americans and 97% who live in poverty coming from 27 different zip codes across the city.
Under McHenry’s leadership, the institution is the lone school serving a population of kids through high school that has reached four stars on the DPI school report card prior to the pandemic and one of two schools to earn a three star after the pandemic. In addition, the academy has experienced record enrollment each year. McHenry has been instrumental in increasing development efforts by 25% each year and increasing assets by almost 40% over the last three years. Most importantly, Milwaukee Academy of Science has a 94% cohort graduation rate despite 97% of the scholars living in poverty.
“Anthony McHenry has the tenacity and grit in assuring our youth receive quality education,” said his staff. “But not just that. He wants them to be holistically supported through any hardships or wins to be their best selves.”
McHenry feels fortunate to work at a school that serves scholars from a very similar background to the one he grew up in as a child. “I understand the challenges that come from living in poverty in a far too volatile community,” he said.
For his continued service to the youth of Wisconsin, McHenry has been namd a titan.
