Overview

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The photos above are from our first in-person meeting in Pinellas County Schools since transitioning to all-virtual meetings during COVID. The presentation hosted by the James B. Sanderlin Neighborhood Family Center in St. Petersburg, Florida was well attended by a diverse group of parents and students from throughout the county.

During the presentation, we provided insight into the “Hidden Rules” of college admissions and hosted a student panel who shared their journey in our program. Our panel consisted of a high school senior on her way to Caltech, high school juniors who have participated in our program since middle school, and current middle school students. Students discussed how setting goals in each of our 3 pillars of scholarship, leadership, and service have not only made them better students, but expanded their college and scholarship opportunities. We even hosted a book signing for students who served as contributors to our “Who I Am” series of books used in our college planning curriculum.

Some of the college and program opportunities that our panelists have been excepted to include:

• Caltech
• Brown Pre-College Program
• Northeastern Accelerate Program
• QuestBridge College Prep Scholar
• QuestBridge College Match Scholar
• Jack Kent Cooke Scholar
• Caltech Fly-in
• UPenn Fly-in
• Dartmouth Fly-in

We are a Community-based Organization, based in Marietta, Georgia partnering with schools, school districts, and faith- and other community-based organizations throughout the United States. We also partner with colleges and programs like QuestBridge, LEDA, Posse, and The Gates Scholarship Program. Our foundation was founded by Mychal and Nina Wynn to provide college planning guidance and support for expanding college access and minimizing student loan debt for any student, but particularly for students from lower income families and those who will be the first in their family to attend college. In 2020, our partnership with Guilford County Schools (NC), focused on first generation, lower income, and refugee students received the 2020 Magna Award from the the National School Boards Association.

In the summer of 2018, we began our partnership with Pinellas County Schools through a collaboration with Dr. Lewis Brinson, the PCS Minority Achievement Officer, with the introduction of our College Planning Boot Camp for rising high school seniors. Students from that first boot camp were not only offered admission to such in-state universities as FAMU, Florida State, University of Florida, and the University of Miami, but also to such schools as Amherst College, Morehouse College, William College, Swarthmore College, and Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Over the years, PCS students have been offered admission to and selected for such highly selective colleges and programs as:

Amherst College • Caltech • Claflin University Honors College • FAMU Honors Program • Florida State • Jack Kent Cooke Scholar • Johns Hopkins • North Carolina A&T Honors College • Northeastern University • QuestBridge • University of Chicago • University of Florida • University of South Florida Honors College • Swarthmore College • Williams College • Yale Young Global Scholars Program 

What makes our program unique is that our focus is not simply expanding college awareness but guiding students in developing a holistic set of strategies throughout their 7-year middle school through high school progression across such areas as choosing their high schools and programs; course taking; pursuing leadership and service; developing their gifts and talents; and setting goals to make themselves competitive applicants for being offered admission to selective colleges and being awarded competitive scholarships.

While less than 2% of all students are attending college on a full scholarship (Source: ThinkImpact), the strategic planning engaged in by students in our program has resulted in unparalleled success with nearly 50% of participating students being offered full scholarships each year. 

Our Final Boot Camp

We have just concluded the 6th and final year of our partnership with Pinellas County Schools. Consequently, this will be our final 4-day College Planning Boot Camp. The focus of our boot camp will be on guiding every participating student through the process of developing a college-bound plan from their current grade level through 12th grade. In the video presented below, middle school students share their boot camp experience. 

All of the students featured in the video are now high school juniors. Jocelyne, who first attended our boot camp as a rising 6th grader, developed a 4-year plan (see below) that she has followed throughout high school. Her older sister, Joanne, joined our program as a high school sophomore, developed a similar 4-year schedule, and went on to be selected as a Jack Kent Cooke College Scholar and received a full scholarship to Johns Hopkins University where she is not entering her second year.

Below are some of the goals developed during the boot camp that students have pursued throughout each year of high school to make themselves competitive applicants for applying to the best colleges and for the most competitive scholarships. These are some of the goals reflected in the book, Who I Am: Vol IV – My Goals  that every boot camp student will receive.