A Hartford native, Jahrell Spence ‘18 came to Watkinson for a PG year as a City Scholar after graduating from The Academy of Engineering and Green Technology at Hartford Public High School. He says his PG year was phenomenal; it was a chance for him to show colleges his true potential, improving his grades and his basketball skills over the course of the year (Jahrell averaged 28 points per game in his season as a Watkinson Ram). With access to and guidance from Watkinson’s college counseling office, Jahrell was recruited to play NCAA Div III basketball at Albertus Magnus College. He had such a strong freshman year both academically and athletically that he transferred to Central Connecticut State University, a Div I program. Sadly, the pandemic and a knee injury ended Jahrell’s basketball career and Jahrell finished his schooling at Albertus, graduating with a BS in Finance in 2023. Immediately after graduation, Jahrell was hired as an accountant at Goodwin University and was promoted to senior accountant in January of 2025. 

Just prior to graduating from Watkinson, Jahrell said, “I am so thankful for the opportunity that the City Scholar program gave me. The donors who provided this support helped to change my path and ultimately my life.”