We are thrilled to introduce you to the extraordinary Executive Director of BELIEVE Middle College Tanesia Simmons.
On the wall of Tanesia Simmons’ office hangs an unusual collection of credentials.
Alongside her bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and her master’s degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Houston, she holds a cosmetology license. For Tanesia, the display serves as a daily reminder that success rarely unfolds as planned and reinforcement to her students that it’s okay.
Long before she founded schools, led educational organizations, and became one of St. Louis’ most innovative education leaders, Tanesia spent nearly a decade building a successful career as a hairstylist and salon owner. The path between those careers was anything but direct. It included detours, family responsibilities, interrupted plans, and a return to college as an adult student.
Rather than seeing those experiences as setbacks, Tanesia considers them essential to understanding the students she serves today, many of whom are several years removed from attending school.
“Life can take a long time when life is happening outside,” she said.
A Journey That Shaped a Philosophy
A native St. Louisan and graduate of St. Louis Public Schools, Tanesia was a first-generation college student who excelled academically. She participated in gifted programs and advanced coursework throughout her K-12 education. Yet despite her success, a guidance counselor dismissed her as “not college-bound.”
Undeterred, she registered for the ACT on her own and excelled. Then she got her counselor’s attention.
Although she earned a full scholarship, financial realities and family responsibilities altered her plans. Nobody had prepared her to succeed in college; the conversation was always just getting there. She left and obtained her cosmetology license, spending the next decade building a successful career as a hairstylist and salon owner.
An Unexpected Path Into Education
The idea of opening a school first came to Tanesia through a dream, though it wasn’t her own. One day, a friend called and said, “I had a dream last night that we moved to Chicago and opened a school.” The unexpected conversation planted a seed. Tanesia had never seriously considered a career in education, though as a child she thought she might be a teacher. Her experience was in entrepreneurship, running her own salon, not schools. But she took a leap, stepping into an operations role that ultimately became the foundation for a career in educational leadership.
She returned to higher education as an adult learner, earning a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and a master’s degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Houston.
Rather than viewing those detours as setbacks, Tanesia sees them as essential chapters in her story. The cosmetology license hanging beside her degrees is proof.
“I was clearly an adult student,” she said. “Life can take a long time when life is happening outside.”
As Founding Dean of Operations at Muchin College Prep within the Noble Network, Tanesia helped build the school from the ground up, overseeing finance, facilities, enrollment, technology, compliance, and daily operations. During her seven years at Noble, she also taught AP U.S. History and eventually became an assistant principal.
The experience showed her what was possible when schools intentionally prepared students for life after graduation.
She later returned home to St. Louis to found KIPP St. Louis High School. After spending a year planning the school, she led it for four years through the graduation of its first senior class. Following her time at KIPP, she served as Director of Data and Enrollment. She later spent four years at The Opportunity Trust, supporting school founders, parent advocacy groups, student leadership organizations, and educational innovation across the region.
That philosophy ultimately led Tanesia to found BELIEVE Middle College in 2025.
Operating under the BELIEVE Academy charter, BELIEVE Middle College is the first school of its kind in St. Louis. The school serves students ages 17 to 20 who have not yet earned a high school diploma and need a different route back into education.
Many students arrive after years away from school. Some are raising children. Others are experiencing homelessness, balancing employment, navigating involvement with the juvenile justice system, or recovering from difficult personal circumstances.
Rather than describing BELIEVE as an “alternative school,” Tanesia sees BELIEVE as a school built around opportunity and possibility, and she is deliberate about how they describe themselves.
“Our kids sign themselves up,” she said. “They are literally making the choice to come to school.”
Unlike traditional high school students who may attend because their parents require it, BELIEVE students actively choose to return.
“They’ve been out of school,” Tanesia said. “They realize there’s nothing for them to do that’s productive. They are literally choosing to come to school, which is just a different level of motivation.”
More Than a Diploma
BELIEVE Middle College was intentionally designed to do more than help students earn a diploma.
“To graduate from BELIEVE Middle College, you have to get some type of credential,” Tanesia explained. “You can get the credits and pass the HiSET and all of that. But when you leave here, you have to work. So how are we preparing you for that?”
Every graduate earns an industry-recognized credential that supports immediate employment opportunities. Students have completed certifications in areas such as substitute teaching, OSHA workplace safety, and construction.
The school integrates social-emotional learning, group therapy, meditation, yoga, and the development of coping skills into students’ daily experiences.
“Life gets really stressful,” she said. “I think we send kids out academically prepared a lot of times, but they come home because of other reasons. I want them to be able to complete.”
She describes the school’s approach as “college plus” because it addresses both academic and personal barriers.
“They’re grown-ish,” Tanesia said. “You still need a whole lot of support. And so we try to fill in that gap, the middle.”
Early Successes Exceed Expectations
When BELIEVE Middle College opened, Tanesia expected to enroll approximately 40 students.
Instead, 54 students arrived.
Even more surprising was how quickly students began reaching major milestones. And while the school didn’t expect its first graduates to finish until December 2026, this June, seven students completed requirements months ahead of schedule.
One student enrolled in March and graduated by May after passing every required test on the first attempt. Another was a young parent seeking a fresh start. Another saw BELIEVE as a final opportunity to finish before aging out of traditional educational options.
“That’s just a testament to what kids can do when you give them the space and opportunity,” she said.
Building Trust Through Relationships
Much of BELIEVE’s enrollment growth has happened through word-of-mouth referrals.
The school conducts outreach through community events, radio advertisements, and billboards, but many students find their way to BELIEVE through trusted relationships.
Staff members have connected with unhoused students living in shelters, including young parents caring for children. Referrals come from juvenile justice officials, counselors, community organizations, former students, and family members.
“The fact that whole families are trusting us in the same way they might trust a neighborhood school,” Tanesia said, “We’re building trust among people who realize something’s wrong and need a change.”