Abbott Leadership Institute’s Youth Media Symposium College Success Centers Host 'Scholarship Fridays',

Students Win Big! $12,000 in Scholarship Money Won by Newark Students

In March 2015, the Abbott Leadership Institute Youth Media Symposium received a grant from the State Farm Insurance Youth Advisory Board, to set up 10 College Success Centers, designed to help Newark high school students navigate the college selection process, including scholarships information.  Junius Williams, Director of ALI and YMS said, “The YMS College Success Centers are making a huge impact in Newark! Since launching the program, the YMS College Success Centers have served over 200 young people across three sites at Rutgers Newark, Malcolm X. Shabazz High School and Leaders for Life, Inc., empowering students to effectively take on the college process through workshops, individual assistance, and tutoring, as well as weekly scholarship events”. In late June, a fourth site was opened at the Ironbound Community Corporation, with additional centers opening throughout the summer.

The Rutgers University Newark Success Center has helped two students gain substantial amounts of student financial aid. In May, William Rodriguez and Yennifer Hurtado spent hours working on scholarships with the help of the Success Center staff, . Both students won $6,000 in scholarships to help pay for their college education. William Rodriguez,  who graduated from East Side High School, won the Amiri Baraka Visual Arts Scholarship totaling $6,000. Yennifer Hurtado, a graduate of American History High School, won the Dawn Reddick Memorial Scholarship ($1,000) and the Donna Johnson Memorial Scholarship, totaling $5,000.

“Winning this scholarship will impact tremendously my first year of college since it will help me financially to complete college with less debt. This scholarship opened many doors for me”, said William Rodriguez. “At the college success center, I found great people that believed in my strengths from the moment I got there. I received the help that pushed me forward to create solid and competitive material for these scholarships.”

During Scholarship Fridays, tens of Newark high school students valuable information about scholarships, including specific scholarship applications. “We started in the spring of 2015, so most of the aid still available was from   local scholarship opportunities”, explained Kim Ledgister, the Program Coordinator of the College Success Center Network. “We are here to provide guidance with our staff and volunteers to help create a winning application. Some of the students stayed at the Rutgers Newark site until 8pm including Yennifer Hurtado”.

Yennifer stated, “The College Success Center is a place that can benefit every Newark kid. Many students feel that there is not enough support or resources, no one to provide them with tips or guidance. The college success centers are giving us an opportunity and everyone should support it. I also recommend every student use it and get the help.”

The YMS College Success Centers are open throughout the school year. The Rutgers Site is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 3pm-7pm, throughout the summer months. For more information about the program contact Program Coordinator for College Readiness, Kimberly Ledgister alicollegesuccess@gmail.com. Press Contact: Kaleena Berryman kaleenab@rutgers.edu

 

Kaleena K. Berryman, M.P.A
Abbott Leadership Institute
(T) 973.353.3520
(F) 973.353.1622

www.abbottleadership.org
Like us on FACEBOOK