On September 24, we kicked off the third year of programming for More Than Bootstraps! New Leaders shared their stories, senior Fellows presented personal and academic goals, and we were introduced to our newest cohort of 13 new High School Fellows.  

New Year, New Look!

As you may have noticed...We have a new logo!

This fresh look is the end result of many weeks of thoughtful creation by our very own MTB Advisory Board member, Shannon Yau. We are so grateful to Shannon for donating her skills as an Art Director to this vision that so fantastically represents our mission, our students, and the power of near-peer mentoring.

Meet Our Newest Community Members

Each month, we'll be introducing you to one of our newest community members.

This month, meet Ayana, our Social Work Intern!

In case you missed it, take a look at Ayana's presentation from our recent kickoff meeting.

Welcome Cindy Goldman!

Please join us in welcoming Cindy Goldman to More Than Bootstraps’ Advisory Board!

Cindy is a graduate of Case Western Reserve Law University School of Law. After changing course in her career and returning to school to earn a school counseling degree, she worked as a guidance counselor for 10 years at Rahway High School in New Jersey.

Cindy introduced and ran several programs in Rahway to help first-generation and low-income students reach their goal of accessing higher education. She retired in December 2021 but continues to mentor students.

We will all benefit greatly from Cindy's energy, passion for access, and experience as a counselor.

Exciting News!

We are thrilled to announce that MTB has received a $15,000 operating support grant from the New Jersey Center for Hispanic Policy Research and Development (CHPRD), a Division of Programs in the New Jersey Department of State.

CHPRD is responsible for New Jersey Governor's Hispanic Fellows Program, which was recently attended by two of our College Student Leaders (Melissa and Lizbeth) and our MTB Summer Intern (Joseph). 

September's Featured Video

Take a look at this exciting recap of our recent Summer Reading Program!

College Student Leader Ashley led the senior High School Fellows in a discussion of the book "Make Your Home Among Strangers" by Jennine Capó Crucet.

As Ashley put it, sometimes first-generation students have "no idea what's going on." With the guidance of her mentor in MTB, however, Ashley excelled in her time as a High School Fellow, and is now a 1st-year college student and an MTB College Student Leader.

Coming Up Soon

Ayana will be hosting Wellness Workshops throughout the year. In October, we encourage Leaders and Fellows to attend. We hope to see you there!

• Topic: “Family: Having tough conversations, putting yourself first, and looking towards the future” We hold our families in the highest regard. For some of us, they’re all we have. For some, they are our biggest allies and supporters. As first-generation students, however, all of us have one thing in common: Our families haven’t experienced U.S. higher education. All of this makes having hard conversations and taking opposite stances difficult and unsettling. This workshop's purpose is to share and discuss ways that you can open up to your family about future plans, ideas, and goals.  
• First Date Option: October 8th 12:00pm-12:45pm
• Second Date Option: October 13th 7:00pm-7:45pm
• Third Date Option: October 22nd 12:00pm-12:45pm

AND DON'T FORGET!  Our next Full Group Meeting is

Saturday, October 15, at 10 AM.

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