April 3, 2024

Dear REACH Prep Community, 

We are thrilled to announce that we are marking three decades of championing educational access for Black and Latinx students! The last 30 years have been filled with exciting growth for REACH Prep as we continue to support 250 Scholars each year from the Bronx, Fairfield, and Westchester counties from fourth grade through college graduation.

As we reflect on our mission of empowering students, we're reminded of the transformative impact of education on shaping futures and how important our work is in changing lives.

Highlighted below is a spotlight on our work at Prep Academy with our youngest students, as well as a profile of Jeffrey, a sophomore engineering major at Cornell University. Take a look at our most recent annual report with more features of our phenomenal Scholars and programming.

I hope you can join us this year at our Anniversary Gala to commemorate this milestone as we continue our commitment to creating pathways to success for all REACH Prep Scholars and alumni. 

Cheers to 30!

Becky Reiser, CEO

Cohort 30 was admitted to REACH Prep last summer, and they have been thriving in Prep Academy all year.

This spring, Scholars are taking Humanities, Mathematics, Latin, Technology, Science, and Study Skills classes, and enjoying visits from REACH Prep alums who are committed to empowering the next generation of Scholars by sharing their own experiences.

The spring semester mirrors an independent school curriculum and prepares students for the transition to middle school. The final day of this semester is April 27th, and then Scholars begin the 6-week summer session in June.

We are excited to continue our partnership with Sacred Heart Greenwich. Click here to learn more about our programming on their campus.

High School Scholars Tour Colleges

An important piece of our College Guidance programming is supporting Scholars and families with college exploration. Each year, program directors lead a trip for high school students to learn about campus life, classes, and extracurricular activities, to help them decide where they may want to apply.

This year, 14 high school students attended and explored four campuses: Boston University, College of the Holy Cross, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Throughout the trip, Scholars met with REACH Prep alumni who shared additional insights about attending school and living in Boston.

Early Career Success Panels & Workshops

Our Director of College Success plans many workshops and panels to help current college Scholars learn more about their options after graduation.

Most recently, we were grateful to have Stone Point Capital collaborate with us on a virtual workshop that taught Scholars about the economy and markets.

We also hosted a virtual graduate school panel to help college Scholars who are considering this next step in their educational careers.

We are grateful for the wonderful volunteers who offered to participate in these meaningful workshops and panels, including the below members of the graduate school panel.

Moderator:

Julia Hyman, Cohort 12: Master of Social Work, Master of Public Health, Boston University

Panelists:

Arielle Guillod, Cohort 14: PhD, Clinical Psychology, University of Missouri – St. Louis

Chris Desir: Master of Business Administration (MBA) Global Commerce, Southern New Hampshire University

David Menard, Cohort 7, Master of Public Administration Candidate, Villanova University

Kelly Bojic, Cohort 13 Master of Business Administration (MBA), Harvard Business School

College Scholar Spotlight

We’re always interested to hear about what our Scholars are doing on their campuses. Jeffrey R. from Cohort 20 is a recently affiliated Mechanical Engineering major at Cornell who is staying busy in and out of the classroom.

In addition to being excited for more technical courses this semester including Dynamics, Mechanical Synthesis, and Waves, Jeffrey is active around campus. He leads a multivariable support class where he guides motivated students through some of the more difficult math classes in the Engineering school.

Jeffrey also worked closely with three classmates to start a new club called Colombianos Unidos (Colombian United) to unite Colombians, share and spread Colombian culture, and establish a sense of community on campus. A participant in several other clubs, Jeffrey shared that he joined the Cornell Bowling Club and Cornell Footvolley Club. He's also kept his passion for refereeing and officiates soccer, indoor soccer, and volleyball. This is his favorite campus job as he gets to train and mentor new referees. Jeffrey is also part of the Aviation Club and got to go up in a propeller plane in November, which was a semester highlight!

Before returning to campus for his sophomore year, Jeffrey interned at CoCreate where he worked with REACH Prep alumna Ayna Ramseur-Moore. This internship gave him first-hand experience in manufacturing, and he enjoyed being on the assembly and testing team. 

We’re thrilled to see Jeffrey thriving in classes, internships, and around campus. We look forward to seeing what he will accomplish next!

Welcome New Board Members

We are thrilled to welcome two new members to our Board of Directors!

Kathryn Shaw has been an active volunteer for REACH Prep for the past few years, serving on event committees and is currently serving as a Co-Chair for our Anniversary Gala.

Atlas Holdings will also be joining as our first corporate board seat, held by David Filippelli, Partner.

Join us for our 4th Annual Swing for our Scholars Golf & Tennis Outing at Round Hill Club on Monday, May 20.

Sponsorships and tickets are still available for golf and the cocktail reception.

Click here to view event details, and purchase your tickets and sponsorships.

Save the date for an unforgettable evening celebrating 30 years of impact! Thank you to our amazing Co-Chairs, Committee, and Board of Directors for spearheading our 30th Anniversary Gala.

Sponsorships and ticket levels will become available soon. We hope you will be able to join us!

New Annual Report

Our 2022-2023 Annual Report just launched. Take a look here!