Happy July - Thank you for reading!

Summer with MTB

Hello MTB Families,

We hope you are having a relaxing summer! Things have been busy but exciting on our end, and we wanted to take a moment to share with you a few updates about what your students have been working on as well as some future plans.

Welcome to Our Newest Fellows and Families

We are so glad you're here. In this short video, you will hear more about who we are, what we do, and how we support students and their families on their journey through college applications and beyond!

Click the image below to watch!

We officially kicked off our summer program last month with a virtual session that brought together our rising seniors, mentors, and interns. Even though we were on Zoom, the energy was definitely great! Students were able to get to know each other, participate in excellent discussions, and start thinking about what's coming next: essay writing, summer reading, financial aid, and more.

🎓 Just a friendly reminder: our summer program is open only to rising high school seniors. We are so excited to support them as they begin their college journey!

Welcoming Our New Program Resource Fellows

We are thrilled to introduce Ashley Delgado (William Paterson University, 2026) and Manan Raval (New Jersey Institute of Technology, 2026) as our new Program Resource Fellows for the summer and the upcoming school year at MTB!

Ashley and Manan are leading the MTB Summer Training Program for both new and returning College Student Leaders. They will also be running the Summer Program for our new rising high school seniors.

Ashley has been with MTB for 5 years. She started in September of 2020 in our first class of High School Fellows! Manan started in MTB in June of 2023 as a College Student Leader. We are so lucky to have them and cannot wait to see everything they will bring to MTB this summer and beyond!

Meet Our Governor's Hispanic Fellows

Let's Welcome Our New Interns!



This summer, we are so excited to have three new interns from the Governor's Hispanic Fellows Program! Meet Jezabel Fernandez, Amal Akkad Wattar, and Britny Alvarado. They will be helping out with everything from planning and hosting weekly summer reading sessions to supporting students and mentors behind the scenes.

About the Governor's Hispanic Fellows Program



The Governor's Hispanic Fellows Program is a paid summer internship that offers leadership development opportunities for first-generation college students of Hispanic heritage. Even if a student attends college out of state, as long as they live in New Jersey, they qualify to apply. Fellows are placed in different sites that may align with their major or give them the opportunity to learn about new fields outside their studies. They gain real-world experience, build professional skills, and receive exceptional mentorship. Fellows also attend weekly workshops focused on developing public speaking, networking, and leadership skills, while also building confidence and long-term connections.

To be eligible, students must:

• Be of Hispanic/Latino heritage
• Be a New Jersey resident
• Be enrolled in a 2 - 4 year college/university
• Be a U.S citizen or legal permanent resident

This is a fantastic and enriching opportunity for those who are looking to grow professionally!

MTB has had four Governor's Hispanic Fellows of our own: Lizbeth Coliente, Melissa Reyes, Ashley Delgado, and Michelle Carpintyero. This program is something MTB students should definitely keep in mind as they think about their future plans!

Grad Cap Contest - Voting is Open!

We've received a great number of entries to our Grad Cap Contest so far, and we are so excited to see our graduates' creativity shown in their caps.

Voting officially started on June 30, and we would love for you to check out our amazing latest entries and spread the word to family and friends!

Vote for your favorites and help us celebrate the Class of 2025 in a fun and meaningful way!

What's Next?

We are getting started with all the exciting activities we have planned for the summer. Throughout July, our Governor's Fellows are hosting our Summer Reading Sessions. Rising senior Fellows are participating in discussions, sharing their thoughts about the college journey, and connecting with their peers.

Ask a Question

There's no such thing as a stupid question. Ask anything and everything by going to this form. Don't be shy! Ask a question »

Question: What happens next for our new rising junior Fellows?

Nothing yet! On Thursday, August 14, 1-3, at the Boathouse Cafe in Passaic, we will hold a kickoff to welcome our 22 new MTB High School Fellows.

Some students will get to meet their new mentors, and those who are able to join will receive their computers.

Meanwhile, students should watch for information about their MTB email and our mentor match process.

We can't wait!

Thank you for being here!

Thank you so much for being part of the MTB community. We are looking forward to all the amazing things that our mentors and mentees will be doing this month.

See you in August!

-The MTB Team

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