
This has been the biggest year in We Go To College's history. Between volunteering, contract work, and private clients, I worked with almost 20 students (and a School Counselor) after school and on the weekends. When I first envisioned We Go To College's mission while living in St. Louis, I had the goal of focusing on serving students who looked like me and were growing up in conditions similar to what I endured. I've worked with some amazing students over the years through the company, but this is the first year I felt that the mission was being fully realized: "We Go To College, LLC's purpose is to equip historically disadvantaged college-aspiring students and communities with the college access knowledge to create sustainable pathways toward upward mobility and disrupt the college admissions landscape."
The mission started to come together when I began working with Upward Bound Programs in St. Louis. The work expanded on a grander scale when I got the opportunity to help Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC design their college access program. This year, I was honored to work with a public high school in the South Bronx called Longwood Preparatory Academy. Years ago, I worked full-time for a community-based organization where I was stationed at Longwood. I have always loved the school's community and leadership and wanted to work with them again. This year, I provided the School Counselor with tools her students could use, guidance on writing recommendations, financial aid, and submitting documents, including a School Profile I created for them. In addition, I got to work with some students at the top of the senior class. Here is the acceptance list and current scholarship total of those students:


While I grew up in Brooklyn's East New York, a perilous neighborhood where I hope to do some work someday, I have a special place in my heart for the South Bronx because there are students who want to rise above the poorest congressional district in the nation. Last year, I worked at a charter school in the area. Before I left, I had begun working with a few juniors at the top of the class. While I would've loved to continue working with all the students, I didn't have the time. After evaluating my capacity, I decided to keep working with two of those students (and advised another when he had questions or was looking for quick feedback). Here is their acceptance list and total scholarship amounts:


While my private client numbers are small (and hyperfocused on middle-income families of color and students who aren't "competitive" for "highly selective" college), the results this year were very fruitful:

Last year, I volunteered for College Essay Guy's Matchlighters Program and was matched with a Dominican girl from Florida who attends a large public school. I worked with her on the Questbridge application and she was successful:

Huge thanks to everyone who was involved with these efforts this year. I'm glad that at least three students will be able to graduate from a selective college debt-free, just as I did. A few others will graduate with debt far below the maximum Federal Student Loan amount of $27,000 after four years. While looking forward to whatever work I have in store next year, I can't wait to see where this year's South Bronx students end up. I know some of them are hoping to get off the waitlist at selective colleges that provide full financial need. I'm raying for them. Getting off the waitlist would give them the greatest chance to leave the Bronx alive and hopefully go back to improve it.