Proud CAMBA College Bound Graduates Head off to College

CAMBA College Bound (CCB) employs proven strategies to help students improve attendance and academic performance, guiding them to high school graduation, college enrollment, and college graduation.

During our 'Decision Day' ceremony at Eagle Academy for Young Men at Ocean Hill in Brooklyn, each student walked across the auditorium stage while their name and post-high school decisions were announced, with their friends and family watching and cheering them on.

Graduates of the CCB program from left to right, clockwise: James Coombs (attending University of Pennsylvania), Emmanuel Boateng (attending University of Pennsylvania),

Deval Crosby (attending Lincoln University), Jondell Clarke-Bobb (attending Rochester Institute of Technology), Julian Williams (attending SUNY Old Westbury), Preston Kittrell (attending Johnson C. Smith University), and Kelile Rogers (attending SUNY Farmingdale).

These seven graduates — just a few of the more than 100 high school seniors CCB helped in 2024 — shared with us their excitement for college and their appreciation of the support they received from CCB.

For Deval, who's heading to Lincoln University, his college education is a special moment for his family. “I’m really excited about being a first generation college student, because my parents weren’t able to go to college.” 

Emmanuel, who's heading to the University of Pennsylvania, remarked on the importance of the program, and in particular on the support received from Antoinette Bethune, CCB’s College Success Advisor. 

“Antoinette really pulled through for us with our financial aid appeal letters, and the college application process. It’s a very daunting process, it was a lot of all-nighters and late nights, being up until 3 a.m., second guessing yourself all the time, and some of those essays were no joke. The questions are very reflective, so it takes a lot of thought. I’m really excited about meeting new people and enjoying the college experience as a whole, and making my impact on the world. I’m also looking forward to helping people out because I’m going to be majoring in nursing and I hope to make an impact in that field.”

Kelile, who's starting this fall at SUNY Farmingdale, shared: “I’m definitely excited for the independence of college and the athletic opportunities as well. I have the opportunity to play two different sports in college. And just the opportunity to grow and be out there in the world, and broaden my horizons. Shoutout to Miss London and Miss Antoinette because they pulled us through everything, like helping us get scholarships.”

Each of these students credit CCB with helping them get to this moment. From helping the students navigate the college application process – including helping them organize their thoughts and revise their essays – to helping them apply for financial aid and obtain scholarships, CAMBA staff helped the students fulfill their true potential.

Julian, who's going to SUNY Old Westbury, said, “I’m excited to take the next step and ultimately to become a teacher. I want to teach either English, Math, or History. Eagle Academy is really a blessing, and CAMBA’s a blessing."

"Working with our students in CCB is not only amazing, but a truly rewarding experience," shares Antoinette. "The college application process can be both fun and challenging for our students, and we make sure they are not alone in planning for their future. Equity in college access is extremely important to us, so we work to open doors that help our students achieve the highest levels of success. We are so proud of the Class of 2024, and we congratulate them on a job well done."