Dear LEAP Community,

In the first photograph accompanying this letter, I am sitting beside Andrison, one of my first LEAP students, working through the Pythagorean theorem. We were not simply memorizing a formula; we were working together to understand what it actually meant.

I joined LEAP, then Salem CyberSpace, as a math tutor in 2008. I later left for graduate school in mathematics, believing that being good at something meant I should build a career around it. I earned my master’s degree and began working on my dissertation before realizing that choosing a path is about more than ability. Our interests, values, and the contribution we want to make matter too.

That realization brought me back to LEAP as STEM & Career Coordinator. As my responsibilities grew, I continued learning, eventually earning an MBA in nonprofit management.

These well-worn business cards trace my path through LEAP. Each one represents a new opportunity to learn, contribute, and grow into a future I could not yet see.

I also learned that hard work, character, and commitment are not always enough to create opportunity or economic mobility. Even with a full scholarship to Salem State, I did not realize until my junior year that I could still apply for financial aid. Pell Grants ultimately helped me afford books and the technology I needed for school. The resources existed. I simply did not know how to reach them.

That gap between how opportunity should work and how it often works has become a source of purpose for me. Talent and effort matter, but so do information, exposure, resources, and relationships.

At LEAP, learning has never moved in only one direction. While I was tutoring Andrison, mentors and colleagues, including Linda, were helping me grow. Today, Andrison is a beloved math teacher at Salem High School, and I have the honor of leading LEAP. 

LEAP did not create either journey, but it became part of both. Now, in different ways, Andrison and I are carrying what we learned forward.

The lessons of those journeys now shape how I think about LEAP’s New ERA. Young people need Education, Resources, and Allies throughout the path from middle school through high school and into college, training, and careers.

EDUCATION - RESOURCES - ALLIES

OUR NEW ERA

Our task is to make education and career opportunities visible, connected, and accessible, rather than leaving young people to encounter them by chance.

I invite you to join us on this new journey as we build on LEAP’s first 24 years and work together to expand opportunity for more young people in Salem, Lynn, and beyond.

With gratitude,

Kayla Dorst

Executive Director

LEAP for Education