Steph Curry wasn’t the most studious pupil at his North Carolina high school. As a result, he graduated with a low GPA. That’s not to say he doesn’t care about education. On the contrary, he was raised by an educator. Steph’s mother, Sonya Curry, is the founder of the Christian Montessori School of Lake Norman. Growing up in that environment taught Steph about the importance of what his mom did. “[Giving back] was a part of her job,” he told People.
His mother’s work also showed him the role schools play in children’s lives. “It was staying late after school, mentoring, kids, talking to parents, giving them encouragement … She had to be selfless and sacrifice a lot of time,” he said. As a Montessori teacher, Sonya chose that method of education for Steph, his sister Sydel Curry, and his brother Seth Curry because it embraced their unique personalities. “[Steph is] really a task-oriented person, [Seth] is really quiet, shy, and reserved, and [Sydel] is a really social butterfly,” she said in a 2013 American Montessori Society video.
The NBA star is grateful for her choice. “Montessori gave me a lot of confidence at a young age,” he said. He continued to show he values education even after embarking on his NBA career. In 2019, Steph and his wife, Ayesha Curry, launched the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, through which they promote education in Oakland. His early school experience set Steph on his way to success in ways that went above his GPA.
Steph Curry graduated from high school with a 2.5 GPA
When Steph Curry finished Charlotte Christian High School in 2006, his GPA was just 2.5. The sum of his grades suggests he didn’t spend the bulk of his time in high school pouring over books. But he wasn’t twiddling his thumbs or getting in trouble outside of the classroom. Curry was pretty busy on the basketball court, leading the Knights to three conference titles during his tenure. Despite his low GPA, Curry is remembered for his dedication, hard work, and work ethic.
“I think for him, it’s the drive of super competitive nature,” head basketball coach Shonn Brown told the Golden State Warriors in a 2015 YouTube video. “I think it’s the spirit of competition that he loves to be a part of.” Curry knew he had a special talent, Brown said. And so he put all his energy and focus into honing those skills, everything else became secondary. But Curry never lost sense of what really mattered — both beyond the court and the high school classroom.
With the school’s help, Curry kept his Christian values in check. “Winning graciously, losing graciously and recognizing that this is about cause over self. Those are big-time important pillars of our program,” Brown told Medill Reports in 2019. And Curry can attest to the approach’s success. “I know just how much Charlotte Christian meant to me in terms of kind of sending me on my way and giving me a solid foundation,” Curry said.
Steph Curry returned to Davidson College to finish his education
After leaving high school, Steph Curry joined the small Davidson College where he helped the Wildcats reach the Elite Eight in 2008 and put the little-known school in the spotlight. The following year, he earned consensus First Team All-American honors, but he didn’t go past his junior year. In 2009, Curry opted out of his senior year to enter the NBA draft. He felt ready, but it wasn’t an easy decision. He wanted to get his degree.
Curry even tried to convince Davidson to let him take his classes online, but the college couldn’t accommodate the rising star. “During the whole process, some days I would say, ‘I think I’m going to stay,'” he told ESPN. “Then some doubts would come in and I’d say, ‘I’m going to leave.'” In due time, he managed to fulfill both dreams. In 2022, 13 years after leaving its halls behind, Curry returned to Davidson to finish his degree.
That May, he earned a sociology degree after completing his thesis on advancing gender equality in sports. He wrote it while the 2021-22 playoffs raged on. At midnight on a Wednesday, Curry emailed Gayle Kaufman, his adviser, promising to deliver the thesis by Friday. “It was that moment where I was like, ‘holy, wow,'” she told The New York Times in September 2022. “And sure enough, he finished the paper, and it was great.” Curry and the Golden State Warriors won the NBA Finals just two weeks later.
