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From High School to College: Advice from Boys Hope Girls Hope Freshman Collegians

February 26, 2025/in Boys Hope Girls Hope, News

This article was originally written by Martin Totland at Boys Hope Girls Hope, one of the Foundation’s grantee partners. It is shared here with permission.

The transition from high school to college is a significant milestone for Boys Hope Girls Hope scholars.

“Make sure you’re prepared for the realities of student life and pick a major that you’ll love working in for years to come.” — Hesed Cruz, Santa Clara University

For first-generation college students, this journey is both exciting and challenging, full of unexpected experiences, moments of personal growth, and valuable lessons. We spoke with three of our collegians, Hesed Cruz and Cynthia Moran from Boys Hope Girls Hope of Arizona, and Ja’lyn Thomas Jackson from Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado, to learn about their first-year college experiences and the advice they have for high school scholars preparing for the next, big chapter of their lives.

“At Boys Hope Girls Hope, ensuring our young people are prepared for the future is a major priority,” said James Williams, Director of Post-Secondary Success and Strategic Partnerships at Boys Hope Girls Hope Network Headquarters. “Through unwavering support, mentorship, and resources, we help young people prepare for, transition to, and thrive in college, equipping them with the tools to overcome challenges, unlock their potential, and build brighter futures for them and their community.”

Hesed Cruz: Learning Independence and Staying True to Your Values

Santa Clara University – Communications and Film Studies

Hesed Cruz, an out-of-state, first-generation Hispanic college student, reflects on the surprises and challenges of college life at Santa Clara University, a Jesuit university and Boys Hope Girls Hope partner school situated at the heart of Silicon Valley.

“My experience was really unexpected,” he said. “I didn’t anticipate having flexible schedules or the amount of support professors offered. But at the same time, being far from home was harder than I thought. I miss it sometimes.”

Hesed has found college to be a mix of challenges and rewards, such as striking the right balance between socializing and studying. Despite that, Hesed has found value in being a LEAD scholar at Santa Clara University, a program for first-generation college students that assists in academic planning and success, community engagement, and vocational exploration. “[The program] connected me with students who share similar struggles and offers mentorship and guidance for my college journey,” Hesed said.

He advises Boys Hope Girls Hope scholars to reflect carefully on their readiness to leave home and to choose a college and major that aligns with their goals and happiness. “Make sure you’re prepared for the realities of student life and pick a major that you’ll love working in for years to come,” Hesed emphasized.

Cynthia Moran: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Embracing Opportunity

University of Arizona – Political Science

“The scholars who are the most successful are the ones who take advantage of their opportunities.” — Cynthia Moran

Cynthia Moran has found her first semester both fulfilling and transformative. “I’ve realized I belong in every room I step into,” Cynthia says. “As first-generation students, we often struggle with imposter syndrome, but I’ve learned to prioritize my goals while staying connected to my family.”

Though only two hours from home, studying at Arizona State University, Cynthia faced homesickness and missed family moments, such as her sisters’ soccer games and school dances. “Thankfully, my family calls every day to remind me how much they love me,” Cynthia shares.

Despite these challenges, Cynthia has embraced numerous opportunities, from networking in the Latino Lawyers Club to canvassing for Mi Familia Vota. She also participated in voter education initiatives and shared her family’s experiences with NPR during a pivotal election season.

Cynthia’s advice to Boys Hope Girls Hope scholars is to never let fear hold them back. “Apply for that internship, network, and pursue your passions,” she encourages. “You are capable of doing more than you think. Don’t close doors out of fear of the unknown.”

Cynthia’s experiences in her first year of college track closely with what Alexandra Harmon, the College and Career Success Director at the Arizona affiliate, sees again and again in her work with scholars and collegians.

“The scholars who are the most successful are the ones who take advantage of their opportunities,” Harmon said. “Apply to the internship, join the club, talk to the guest speaker after class. This leads to a snowball effect where more opportunities keep opening up to them: that conversation leads to a research position, or the internship leads to an even better paying job. As the saying goes, ‘Ninety percent of success is just showing up.’ The ones who stand out from their peers are the ones who put themselves out there.”

Ja’lyn Thomas Jackson: Thriving in a Supportive College Community

University of Virginia – Business/Arts and Sciences Undeclared

Ja’lyn Thomas Jackson, a first-year student at the University of Virginia, has embraced the rewards and challenges of college life.

“So far, I’ve really been enjoying UVA,” Ja’lyn shares. “There are times when school can get tense and hard, like during economics exam weeks or while applying to the business school, but aside from those times, it’s extremely rewarding being here.”

Ja’lyn highlights the diversity and connectedness of college life. “I’ve been able to learn so much because it’s such a diverse setting. There’s always someone willing to share their experiences, and professors teach unique courses. I was really surprised by the sense of community at a big school like UVA—it’s far more connected than I expected.”

For Ja’lyn, rewarding moments include attending office hours and building relationships with professors. “You feel so much more confident after meeting with a professor about the material,” Ja’lyn explains.

His advice to scholars is straightforward yet powerful: “Find a good support system that will help you thrive while you’re here, and most importantly, remember to have fun.”

A Message of Encouragement

Hesed, Cynthia, and Ja’lyn agree that college is a time of growth, learning, and self-discovery. Their stories show that every challenge is an opportunity to grow, and every success is a step toward a brighter future, something Boys Hope Girls Hope hopes to provide for every scholar who comes through our program.

For our high school scholars, their advice is clear: prepare a lot and really sit down to think through what you want out of college, stay true to your values, be open to new experiences, and believe in your potential. The journey ahead may be daunting, but with the support of Boys Hope Girls Hope, and your own determination, anything is possible.

Planning the College Search – Contemporary Considerations for an Exciting Next Step

February 11, 2021/in Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech, News

This article first appeared in Mainstream News, a publication of JSF grantee partner Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech, and is shared with permission.

Applying to colleges can be a stressful, busy time for students — and a pandemic hasn’t made it any simpler. This year, the process has changed considerably to accommodate health precautions. Campus tours, in-person interviews, college fairs and visits from college representatives are on permanent hiatus. But with a little extra planning, students heading to college can still get all the information they need to make an informed decision.

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech alum Max Collins, a high school senior and student athlete, has experience with the college search during a pandemic.

We spoke with Max Collins, a Clarke Philadelphia alum and current high school senior about what he learned during his recent college search experience. He also shared his advice for other students who are deaf or hard of hearing planning their own transitions to higher education.

Different Formats, Similar Results

Max’s junior year was marked by a challenging academic load and the cancellation of most of his spring track season. As a student athlete, running track and cross country, he’d gotten an early start on his college selection process in order to target schools with programs that would match his goals.

Max was able to visit two colleges before most schools closed to in-person visits. For the other schools, his visits consisted of a mix of virtual tours and Zoom-based question and answer sessions.

Despite the change in format, both Max and his dad, Danny Collins, feel they gained a good sense of all the colleges. “The virtual visits were actually a good way to learn more about the schools,” says Max. He felt that colleges with virtual tours were better able to individualize the information they shared in a way that wasn’t possible during in-person group tours.

Max wasn’t able to attend some of the traditional in-person events schools have for student athletes, but he was able to reach out directly to coaches who put him in touch with other athletes in his sport. Talking with them gave him a feel for potential future teammates and their routines.

Danny agrees. “Being there in person does give you a good sense of what the campus and atmosphere are like, but with the pandemic-related changes, we still had a chance to speak one-on-one with people and get to learn more about the nuts and bolts of things,” he says.

Assessing Priorities, Making Requests

As a student with hearing loss evaluating potential colleges, Max had to weigh all the usual factors in addition to assessing how well each school could accommodate his listening needs — not an easy task virtually.

Max first narrowed down his list of schools by those that felt like a good fit for his academic and athletic goals as well as being able to accommodate his hearing loss. “I had to ask myself: Do I want to go to a big school with a lecture hall of 300 students, or one with smaller classes of 10-15 students?” Max shares. “And I made sure they had a good office of accessibility, that I could get proper accommodations, and the website had a good explanation of what they offer [and] how they do it.”

The good news: Max says he hasn’t had any significant issues securing the accommodations he’ll need in future classes. He also notes that his in-person and virtual visits didn’t present any hearing-related challenges.

“The best advice I can give is to find each school’s office of accessibility, know where it is, exactly what services they offer and what you have to do to get those services,” says Danny. “It’s extremely beneficial to have that information.”

Danny also notes that while 504s and Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs) don’t apply in college, some schools will use them as an accommodations guide, and some won’t. “You have to have your ducks lined up and be willing to advocate for what the student needs,” he says. “Max’s ability to do that, and why he started this process so early, all goes back to Clarke and the way they instilled those self-advocacy skills in him.”

Learn more about things to consider when planning the college search by visiting: http://www.clarkeschools.org/services/mainstreamnews.

Clarke provides children who are deaf or hard of hearing with the listening, learning and spoken language skills they need to succeed.

Early Intervention – Creating Belief in the Eighth Grade

July 20, 2020/in Lorraine Salmon, News

In 2015, the sixth and newest president of SUNY Ulster, Dr. Alan P. Roberts, arrived at SUNY Ulster with an inspirational plan to reach eighth-grade students and to engage them in college during grades nine to 12. Embarking on a bold plan of early intervention to reach all nine school districts in Ulster County, President Roberts engaged the Ulster College Foundation, Inc. in rolling out the pilot plan for the President’s Challenge Scholarship in 2016.

Dr. Alan P. Roberts and a President’s Challenge Scholarship recipient

Dr. Roberts felt that the important aspects behind the creation of the President’s Challenge Scholarship were that students need to be engaged academically at an early age, but also that they are engaged in the big picture aspects of college preparation as early as eighth grade. A broad scope of engagement was envisioned and incorporated as core components of the scholarship with the idea of building a belief in each student in their successful futures. The program started with the goal of changing lives by helping first-generation economically disadvantaged students with overcoming socio-economic barriers associated with attending college. Six students were identified as inaugural recipients who would most benefit from a mentorship program during high school to guarantee their success and make higher education a reality as first-in-family to (potentially) graduate college. Key donors met the challenge to sponsor and support them on this journey. By the 2019-20 school year, 49 eighth graders from all nine school districts in Ulster County were added to the scholarship classes. Today a scholarship contingent that is approximately 100 strong is growing by 50 new eighth-graders from all of the nine school districts to form a formidable group of diversified and dedicated students who have committed to “Taking the President’s Challenge.” The scholarship provides the solution to our students’ first obstacle – how their education will be funded! Imagine the impact of this overture of belief! Empowering first-generation college students on the path to and through college is the impetus for this challenge, and we see that impact firsthand in the faces of the recipients – and in the pride they feel when arriving on campus. SUNY Ulster assigns college mentors to PCS recipients and provides counseling and support for these students at their high school, at events on the SUNY Ulster campus, and online. Imagine a ninth-grade student meeting their mentor at a campus-based event. Imagine 10th- and 11th-grade students receiving program content and college enrollment guidance while on SUNY Ulster’s college campus. Students take campus tours, meet faculty, obtain college I.D. badges, and have lunch with the President. We wrap up the days on campus with college notebooks, hats, drink containers, and other college identified items to help our students bring home with them a small part of their newly developed opportunity.

At the school districts, college staff meets with PCS students four to six times per year and collaborates with school administration to schedule visits, monitor students’ academic progress as it relates to scholarship requirements, and identify possible support needs as they relate to student success.

Engagement opportunities for PCS students are also created at the high schools on various topics including academic planning, financial literacy, career exploration, college lingo, progress reports, portal engagement, and leadership. They also discuss college readiness topics such as time/stress management, networking, conflict resolution, civic engagement, and emotional intelligence.

This year has been a challenge for all of us given COVID-19 precautions, and so in 2020-2021, support for virtual/remote learning opportunities will be added to the programming for PCS, as well as online student group discussions. PCS college mentors will also support new PCS students as they become familiar with SUNY Ulster technology including email and online learning.

Through the college mentors, students are advised on Early College (on-campus) and the Collegian Program, which allows students to earn credits towards an Associate’s Degree in their high schools. They also learn about admissions, financial aid, and SUNY Ulster campus resources.

Belief might begin with the notice of acceptance into the President’s Challenge Scholarship program and the knowledge that someone is dedicated to their education. But ownership of one’s future is what is born once a student is engaged in the program, and for that, we find ourselves eternally indebted to those who funded this opportunity and those who continue to do so. Exposure to opportunity might have a quantified value, the cost of an education for this year, for example; but belief in oneself is a gift that stays within a student forever. It informs them in a manner that permits them to take risks and to be bold and to speak up for themselves – this is a gift that has no price tag – it is character-forming and life-changing, and that is what comes from belief.

Lorraine Salmon is Executive Director of Institutional Advancement and External Relations for SUNY Ulster and the Ulster Community College Foundation, Inc. Fourteen of the President Challenge Scholarship students have been sponsored by the Johnson Scholarship Foundation in West Palm Beach, Florida.

A Desire to Heal Unseen Pain Drives Senior’s Calling

May 4, 2020/in Ednisha Vertus, News

The following is an excerpt from an essay written by a graduating senior in the Johnson Scholars-Take Stock in Children (JSTSIC) Program, a college readiness program that is a partnership between the School District of Palm Beach County, Take Stock in Children Palm Beach County and the Johnson Scholarship Foundation. We will feature other student authors in the coming weeks.

In modern-day society, I‘m categorized as an African American woman. But my Haitian culture runs deeper than the outward appearance of my skin. Where I’m from, our struggles are both mental and physical. According to the Borgen Project, a nonprofit organization combating poverty in Haiti, “59 percent of Haitians live on less than $2 a day.” Knowing that my culture is a place that is constantly fighting depression inspired me to become a successful psychologist in the future. In this role, I would like to appeal to the biased and skeptical individuals that would see therapy as a weakness.

While accomplishing the process of getting my psychology degree, I’ll have the ability to help people understand and manage their problems by identifying their strengths and available resources. No one is perfect, so it’s important to have those people who can evaluate an individual holistically and view the scope of their problems. I hope to expand my career into social work. I would like to help children that are in danger mentally, physically, and sexually. Once I receive the degree I’m going to help people overcome all the issues they are facing. Lastly, I will have an ongoing business for low-income families that need help but can’t afford it. With the knowledge I gain, I’ll take it back to my culture and help them relieve some of their stress.

Ednisha Vertus standing in front of school building.

Leadership, public speaking and service work are roles that I play in my everyday life. I wouldn’t describe my capabilities as skills because skills are things that are learned and taught, while capabilities originate from within. I will lead my future clients towards the right path to overcome obstacles that are blocking their success. I shall inspire them to be a better version of themselves, and not let anyone categorize them. There is a solution to everything; you just have to be willing to find it and work for it. When I do become a psychologist, I would like to lower the suicidal death rate by encouraging people to form a plan to solve their problems.

There are many things that I am grateful for but most importantly is my eyesight. A tragic accident when I was 6 resulted in me being stabbed in my eye. This incident caused me to realize that there are many different types of hidden pain a person can feel. It allowed me to view world issues from a different perspective. As I was teased about the Band-Aid on my eyelid, no one knew how I felt inside. They saw the outcome of my accident and assumed to know my feelings. With all the pain I’ve experienced mentally and physically I want everyone to know that me becoming a psychologist is not something I decided for myself, but what I truly believe is my calling on this earth.

Ednisha Vertus is a senior at Lake Worth High School in Florida and a participant in the Johnson Scholars-Take Stock in Children (JSTSIC) Program.

Start Planning for College the Day You Start High School

September 6, 2019/in Christine Sylvain, News

Going through the college admissions process is as much an opportunity to learn about yourself as it is a journey to define and pursue your future college and career goals. Path to College aims to demystify this competitive and sometimes overwhelming process by providing in-depth and comprehensive expert advice to students across our county regardless of economic background. As a partner of Achieve Palm Beach County along with the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, we are committed to increasing the rate of students preparing for, enrolling in, and persisting through degree credentialing programs. With that shared mission in mind, we are happy to share a few quick tips to help you manage your career and college search.

9th Grade — Take a Career Aptitude test through a free account at My Career Shines. Next, explore the suggested careers through volunteer and enrichment opportunities. Consider how you can plan your course load to prepare for this career path. Look for academically rigorous courses. Challenging electives like journalism, debate, or high-tech computer classes are a great way to round out your transcript. Talk often and excitedly about your goals or ideas for your future. Look for opportunities and feedback. Expert tip: The Admissions committee loves to see more than two years of a foreign language on your transcript. Science courses are the number one reason students do not graduate on time. Make sure to get your required science classes completed as soon as possible. Do not put them off and plan on taking two at once!

10th Grade — Seek advanced coursework and volunteer opportunities that match your career interests. Take your PERT test and try to dual enroll over your summer break. Otherwise, try to find a job, internship, or volunteer opportunity that will help you gain skills for the workforce.

11th Grade — Complete a virtual tour or on-campus tour. Research the colleges you are interested in at College Navigator. Study for your SAT or ACT regularly, aiming to put in at least one to two hours a week. There are free online preparation resources through Khan Academy or ACT Academy Aim to revise your personal statement (College application essay) three to five times over summer. Get a second reader, and make sure to follow the instructors.

12th Grade — Choose three teachers to ask for a recommendation letter. Give them between two to four weeks to prepare. Ask them, “Can you write me a STRONG recommendation letter?” In October, fill out your FAFSA. Apply to your dream school during early admission in November. Set a goal to apply to one college every other week and stick to it. Use the Common App to help manage the process. Apply to scholarships between October and March and shoot for one a week. Use your personal statement as a starting template and rework for each scholarship you apply for.

Additional resources for students and parents are available on the Achieve Palm Beach County website at achievepbc.org/resources.

Christine Sylvain is the Founder and Executive Director of the Path to College Fellowship, whose mission is to secure the acceptance of as many high-achieving, low-income students into top-tier universities as possible.