Surrattsville senior with autism earns 18 college acceptances, district spotlights Class of 2026

Emmanuel “Manny” Davis, a Surrattsville High School senior who navigated school while living with autism, had already been accepted to more than 18 colleges and universities as Prince George’s County Public Schools used his class to show what graduation season looks like beyond the stage.

That is the point PGCPS has tried to make as the county moved through a busy stretch that began May 1 with Decision Day celebrations and a new Bowie State University direct-admissions partnership. The district said eligible seniors with at least a 3.0 GPA can use the fast-track program without application fees, essays or recommendation letters, with FAFSA support built in. Bowie State had already awarded more than 600 scholarships totaling more than $1.6 million to PGCPS seniors for fall 2026, a reminder that affordability remains central to the college pipeline.

Surrattsville’s ceremony was scheduled for Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and the school’s Class of 2026 gave the district a narrow but revealing view of how students in Clinton are moving into college, work, military service and entrepreneurship. Surrattsville, at 6101 Garden Drive, is led by principal Katrina Lamont and began the 2025-2026 school year as a Community School, with expanded academic supports, health and wellness services and enrichment opportunities.

The school’s senior class also reflected the range of routes open to Prince George’s students. Twenty seniors earned the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese. One senior completed 545.5 SSL hours. Zephaniah Fowlkes was accepted to the University of Rochester and brought in more than $192,000 in scholarships and grants. Those numbers matter in a county where families are watching whether public schools are producing students who can leave with credentials, aid and a plan.

The class’s reach went well beyond academics. Surrattsville’s Unified Track Team competed at the Penn Relays, won the county championship and placed second in the state championship. The school also celebrated its first young woman to commit to collegiate girls flag football, while softball advanced to the regional championship and wrestling reached both regional finals and the state tournament. One senior became the first student in Prince George’s County to earn CDA certification as a licensed daycare and preschool teacher.

With enrollment of roughly 780 to 875 students in grades 9 through 12 and a student-teacher ratio near 16 to 1, Surrattsville remains a relatively small school inside a much larger district. The Class of 2026 showed how that small community can still produce multiple exits at once, from college acceptance letters to workforce credentials, and give Prince George’s County a clearer picture of what graduation is supposed to lead to.