October 5, 2025 — The morning bell rang at Columbus Africentric Early College PreK-12, and students streamed through the doors with backpacks slung over their shoulders and laughter bouncing down the corridors. At the front of one classroom, Keilah Brewster stood ready, not as a student this time, but as the teacher. 

“I’ve been here since kindergarten,” Brewster said with a smile. “I graduated from here, and now I get to walk the same hallways as a teacher. It’s really full circle.”

Teaching English at Africentric is more than a job for Brewster. It’s a homecoming and the fulfillment of a dream. It’s a moment that still feels surreal for Brewster. A decade ago, she walked these very same hallways as a student, proudly wearing purple and black. Today, she stands at the head of the class, guiding a new generation of Nubians.

“I never imagined I’d be back here in this role,” Brewster said. “When the opportunity came, it felt like coming home. Africentric gave me my foundation, and now I get to help build that foundation for others.”

Brewster graduated from Africentric before continuing her education at The Ohio State University. Along the way, she carried with her the lessons instilled at Africentric: lessons about resilience, identity, and the power of community. In addition to preparing students academically, Africentric immerses students in an environment where heritage, culture, and history are celebrated as sources of strength. Those same values guided her through college and shaped her decision to return to teach at the place that started it all.

“When I was a student here, I always felt seen and supported,” she recalled. “Africentric taught me to be proud of who I am, and that’s something I carry into my classroom every day.”

Brewster now works to instill that same confidence in her students, reminding them that their voices matter, their culture is powerful, and their futures are limitless.

Walking through her classroom, Brewster points to student projects covering the walls, all colorful, creative, and brimming with energy. She laughs when students joke with her, and she leans in when a quiet voice needs encouragement. While she is focused on teaching content, she’s also teaching belief.

“I want my students to see themselves in me and what I have done,” Brewster explained. “To know that I was once sitting where they are, and now I’m standing here because of the same teachers, the same school, [and] the same community that’s around them right now.”

That sense of full-circle inspiration is powerful. Students who may be questioning their path see living proof that success begins right where they are. Brewster’s students light up when they learn that their teacher is also a proud Africentric alumna. It makes her lessons personal, and it creates a bridge between past and present.

Ashley Carter, fellow high school English teacher at Africentric, has known Brewster for eight years. They met during Carter’s first year of teaching at Africentric when Brewster was a senior in Carter’s African American Literature class. 

On day one, Brewster shared that she planned to become a high school English teacher. From there, Carter worked to provide Brewster with mentorship opportunities to help prepare her for a career in education. Carter said her former student’s return to Africentric has been a joy to witness.

“Watching Keilah return to Africentric as a teacher has been inspiring,” Carter said. “She is an incredible asset to our community. She grew up with many of our students’ families, so she brings deep context and insight that help us serve students better.”

Brewster’s journey reflects the District’s mission to empower every student to thrive beyond graduation. In her case, that success has come right back into CCS classrooms, reinforcing the District’s belief that its graduates can and will shape the future.

“It was here that I discovered my voice,” Brewster said. “Now, my goal is to make sure every student who passes through my classroom discovers theirs.”

As the bell rings again and her students pack up to leave, Brewster glances around her classroom. There’s pride in her eyes, but also gratitude.

“This is home,” Brewster said simply. “There’s no better feeling than giving back to the place that gave me so much.”

Brewster’s story reflects what makes Columbus Africentric and Columbus City Schools as a whole special. It’s a place where students are nurtured, challenged, and celebrated. Sometimes, those same students return to pour back into the community that raised them.

“Keilah’s life is a consistent testimony to setting a goal, doing the work, and giving back,” Carter said. “[She] is exactly the kind of educator our students deserve: brilliant, compassionate, culturally responsive, and relentless in her pursuit of excellence.”

For Brewster, that difference is measured not in test scores or grades alone, but in the light she sees in her students’ eyes. It’s the same light she once carried down these very halls.

“This school shaped me,” Brewster said softly. “And now I get to help shape the next generation. That’s the most rewarding part.”