First Generation

Student Profile – Omar Dixon, Jr.

May 1, 2022

Student Profile

Jocelyne L. (St. Petersburg High School)

Hello, I’m Jocelyne. I serve on the youth leadership board with Omar, a high school junior from Paulding County, Georgia. Omar is the Social Media Manager for our program. He is an incredibly hard worker and is having an incredible college-bound journey. He joined the cohort program as a high school freshman after reading an article about Kimberly Hadaway, a College Planning Cohort alumni who graduated from his high school. He thought that it was amazing that she had been offered 6 full scholarships to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country. However, what caught his eye in the article was that Kimberly, like himself, was a student of color from a single-parent, lower income family. He believed that if a student like him earn multiple full college scholarships, that he too, could seize the opportunity.

Kimberly’s story inspired him and her accomplishments motivated him to join the cohort and to commit himself to following all of the guidance offered by Mr. and Mrs. Wynn—after all, they were the experts who guided Kimberly. One of the first messages that resonated with him was that colleges are looking for more than just grades and test scores, so he committed himself to pursuing leadership opportunities and engaging in meaningful community service. He served as a College Planning Cohort intern and discussion group leader before applying for a position on the youth leadership board. He immediately had a community impact on the board through his mentorship of other first generation students and as a content creator for several video projects.

The projects that Omar has worked on have not only benefitted others and expanded the community outreach of the program, but have given him opportunities to, in his words,

Develop a ‘body of work’ to which I can refer in essays and interview that distinguish me from other applicants.” Clearly, the community impact that he has had through his leadership and service in our program has not gone unnoticed. He has been selected as a Yale Young Global Scholar, QuestBridge Scholar, and most recently, a LEDA Scholar. In his perspective: “It has been a mind blowing experience for me because it just shows that all the goals I set in 9th grade, and the pathway that I have taken due to the helpful, insightful, and crucial guidance from Mr. and Mrs. Wynn have come to fruition.”

Omar’s story is more than a success story, it is a story of believing that the example that Kimberly provided for him, that through his success, he can provide such an example from other students. Omar notes,

The cohort curriculum is full of the success stories of other students and provides a roadmap to the type of classes, grades, test scores, leadership, and service that can lead to full college scholarships. Rather than looking at these incredible students and saying, ‘I can’t be like them,’ everyone student should say, ‘Thank you for showing me the type of student that I should become if I want to be awarded a full college scholarship!

I believe that Omar has followed Kimberly’s example and that he is providing an example for others to follow. As Mr. and Mrs. Wynn frequently say, “Trust the Process.” I am inspired by how his incredible perseverance, and the cohort’s guidance, have driven him to be intentional in his actions to become a scholar in multiple prestigious programs. While Omar joined the program in hopes of being offered at least one full scholarship, he is now on a pathway to multiple full scholarship opportunities. We look forward to a followup article about Omar’s journey this time next year!

As a current 9th grader, I am looking forward to sharing my own college-bound story in 2024. However, as the president of the youth leadership board, I am looking forward to submitting articles about our many cohort students and their accomplishments. Like my older sister, I am not only grateful to be participating in a program that is guiding us along pathways to full college scholarships, but supporting and encouraging us to grow into leaders who seek to have a community impact.

Watch this space…I’m Jocelyne

On Her Way to Johns Hopkins

March 31, 2022

On Her Way to Johns Hopkins

Jocelyne L. (St. Petersburg High School)

Hello, I’m Jocelyne. I would like to tell you about my older sister, Joanne. My sister, a senior in the IB Program at St. Petersburg High School in St. Petersburg, Florida, has been offered admission, together with a full scholarship, to Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins is one of the most selective schools in the US and is ranked #9 on the US News and World Reports National University Rankings (tied with Northwestern). Not only is Johns Hopkins her top choice school (where she will major in biology), but the scholarship is a huge blessing for our family. The only things not covered by her scholarship are indirect costs, such as travel expenses and personal expenses.

My sister became involved in the cohort in her sophomore year after hearing me go on and on about how wonderful the program was. At the time, I was in the 7th grade and had just completed the Pinellas County Schools College Planning Boot Camp for Middle School Students. As a seventh grader, I could not join a cohort, but she could—and she did!

In interviewing her for this article, she noted,

Through my participation in the cohort, I learned so many things that I would not have learned anywhere else such as the differences between liberal arts colleges and research universities, where I should apply Early Decision versus Regular Decision, and the financial aid policies of all of my top choice colleges. Knowing that Emory, Rice, Stanford, Duke, UPenn, and the University of Chicago would have all offered comparable institutional scholarships, there was no need to apply regular decision to ‘see if I could get in’ when I had a clear top choice—Johns Hopkins. So after being offered admission, via Early Decision to Johns Hopkins, I withdrew all of my other applications.

My sister also mentioned that the information regarding financial aid, The Net Price Calculator, and how different colleges had different financial aid policies, provided clear guidance as to the colleges with the best financial aid policies for students from lower income families. As she researched and learned, she was able to create a plan personalized for her that helped with the next steps when applying for the college of her choice. Not only did the information provided through the online curriculum greatly expand her understanding of the college admission and financial aid processes, but she received amazing support from fellow cohort members, advisors, mentors, and alumni. Some of the college interns—Sydney Soskin (University of Chicago), Peyton Wilson (George Washington), and Loren Tsang (Williams College—to name a few, supported her in the process as they helped her understand the college admissions process and figure out if the college of her choice was a good balance between her aspirations and the educational opportunities offered. With their advice and answers to her questions, my sister was able to discover that Johns Hopkins was truly the college meant for her. However, prior to arriving at this realization, she had to figure out what type of college she wanted to pursue. The cohort provided insight into the nuances between liberal arts colleges and research universities, and which type of school provided the best fit to her body of work and benefited her the most with their opportunities. When she opened the email, “Congratulations, we are pleased to offer you admission to the Johns Hopkins University Class of 2026”my sister’s friends and our family were delighted to hear the great news. Although, we were not surprised, we were incredibly proud and amazed with the scholarship of $280,000 over four years!

I asked my sister what she would say to Mr. and Mrs. Wynn, the creators of the College Planning Cohort Program, and to Dr. Lewis Brinson, the Pinellas County Schools Minority Achievement Officer who brought the program to our school district:

Thank you so very much, your help has been a huge part of my college planning process and I would not have made it this far without you. Not only did you help me apply to college, but you helped me grow as a person!

Watch this space…I’m Jocelyne

100 Scholarships for Minority Students

January 10, 2018

100 Scholarships for Minority Students

Compiled by Diversity & Inclusion

These websites are subject to change without our knowledge so please report broken links to diversity@unc.edu

Summer Programs at George Mason

November 11, 2017

Youth Leadership Conferences

Mason is excited to partner with the following student leadership conferences to offer outstanding high school and university scholars the opportunity to participate in the following experiences for elective college credit.

Envision Career & Leadership Programs
Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Program (HOBY)
Washington Journalism and Media Conference
Washington Youth Summit on the Environment

These programs have been approved by our faculty, and students who qualify can receive college credit for “Special Topics in Leadership.” Scholars enrolled in 4- to 8-day programs earn one (1) college credit, while programs that run 9 days or longer are eligible for two (2) college credits. This is elective Mason credit and generally transfers to other four-year colleges and universities, but we recommend that students and parents check with the college/university they are applying to or attending if they are interested in how the credit would apply.

General Information

How are students selected?

Students are selected to represent their school and state through our academic partnerships. Nominations may be made by high school educators or students are identified by George Mason University through information we receive about students interests and/or academic ability through college entrance exams, or through data from NRCCUA (National Research Center for College and University Administrators), which conduct high school interest/career surveys. Educators are invited to fill out a nomination form for any of our student leadership opportunities and students will be contacted to confirm their nomination.

How are students evaluated?

The course, Special Topics in Leadership is a “Pass/Fail” course and students are evaluated based on their experiential learning opportunities throughout the week. Conference faculty will monitor their active participation in simulations, contributions to discussions and demonstration of leadership and critical thinking skills in group and individual settings. Students will receive feedback on their progress throughout the conference.

How do I enroll in Mason college credit?

Scholars must “opt in” and apply for the elective credit by contacting the conference Office of Admissions and completing the online enrollment application, as well as answering the required questions on the Student Information Form. This must be done no later than the end of the second day of the program session. Students enrolling for credit must be capable of doing college-level work and have completed the 9th grade at the time of the program. Students are asked to provide a self-reported GPA and complete the required questions and student leadership essay prior to conference participation. Tuition is $100.00 for one (1) credit and $200.00 for two (2) credits. Payment will be made to the specific conference. Students who do not meet the requirements for college credit will be refunded the credit tuition amount

Northeastern University Torch Scholars Program

November 1, 2017

Torch Scholars have the power to change the world.

Continuing Northeastern’s century-old commitment to educational opportunity, the Torch Scholars Program is a bold and innovative initiative that provides students with the opportunity to explore their passions and expand their global horizons. The program’s nomination and holistic review process identifies bright students from across the country  who have already succeeded against the odds, but who have not yet reached their full academic potential.

Torch is dedicated to supporting these talented, first-generation college students through an extensive full-scholarship program that includes:

a comprehensive summer immersion program,
intensive academic planning and assessments,
in-depth peer and professional mentoring,
and a wide array of social events that foster group identity and camaraderie.

The program is simply unparalleled in its support for first-generation students from diverse backgrounds. Much more than a scholarship, Torch is a comprehensive model for access, retention, and achievement.

Torch Scholars have a drive to succeed—for their families and for themselves—and exhibit a universal commitment to giving back, completing 100 hours of service each academic year. Our scholars possess the ability and the will to succeed—Torch transforms them into leaders by empowering them to put those qualities into action.

EACH YEAR, NEARLY 500 NOMINEES FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES VIE FOR 10 TORCH SCHOLARSHIPS.

Torch looks to guidance counselors, teachers, mentors, clergy, and community workers to find deserving Torch Scholars.

Torch Nominators are non-family members—adults and professionals in or out of the school setting who know the student on a personal  level. Nominators should be prepared to answer questions about the candidate’s family obligations, motivation, and emotional readiness  for college. Please take a moment to think about the promising young people in your life who might benefit from the Torch Scholars Program. You may nominate more than one student in the same academic year.

We’re glad that you are considering nominating a student for Torch. You can nominate a student here.

If you have any questions, please email torch@northeastern.edu.

NOMINATION DEADLINES

January 1		Northeastern University Regular Decision application deadline (all Torch applicants must complete the Common Application.) All application materials, including your nomination form, will be considered by the Torch Scholars Selection Committee.

January 15		Torch Scholars nomination deadline. (Access our nomination form here)

We will waive the application fee for Torch nominees. To request a fee waiver, you must select “Other” as the fee waiver type in the payment section when submitting the Common Application and Northeastern Supplement. We will grant the fee waiver after verifying that a student has been nominated for the Torch Scholars Program. If you have questions about having your application fee waived, please contact us at 617.373.7204 or torch@neu.edu.


February 1		Priority deadline for financial aid paperwork. Students should complete the FAFSA and CSS Profile in order to be considered for the Torch Scholars program as well as other federal and institutional financial assistance.

February		Finalists will be notified and asked to complete a non-cognitive assessment and complete three additional essays prior to their interview day.

March		Torch Scholars Program decisions are announced. Due to the unique nature of this program, students selected as Torch finalists will not receive their admissions decisions from Northeastern until after scholarship recipients are announced.

Click Here to View the Torch Scholars Brochure…