Navi
All Things Harlem
The Hornblower

Jazz Hayden                           - Opinion Blog

The New Jim Crow

 

Still Here Harlem Productions

Search
Follow Us
Subscribe

Harlem/NYC CopWatch
« Are Charter Schools The Solution to Public Education? | Main | We Endorse John C. Liu for Mayor of the City of New York »

The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx

DateMonday, October 14, 2013 at 11:09AM

Founder Sharon Washington and Fly Students at Awards Ceremony

At the end of last school year All Things Harlem had the opportunity spend time with and learn more about an amazing local organization offering College Preparatory programs for high school students called, The Fly Academy (Fierce Leadership for Youth).  We also produced a short video for their organization that highlighted one of their greatest accomplishments in their first year. 

Here is detailed article from DNAinfo that tells much more about, The Fly Academy.

DNAinfo - By Patrick Wall

When Sharon Washington asked her high-achieving Bronx high school students last fall whether they had applied for the full-ride scholarship that had paid for her own college degrees, she looked out on a room of blank stares.

That moment spurred Washington, an adjunct professor at Hostos Community College, to start a free Saturday workshop series to help Bronx teens apply to colleges and seek financial aid. She called the program The FLY Academy — Fierce Leadership for Youth.

By the end of last school year, 18 seniors in the program had won a total of $2 million in college-tuition awards and four were selected as Gates Millennium Scholars — the full-tuition scholarship program for minority students that had sent Washington to Temple and Columbia universities.

Video


Now, as Washington readies her 30 volunteer mentors and six unpaid staffers for another year of the Academy, she knows their students will face steep odds: families with limited college experience, high schools with low expectations and a borough with dismal college-readiness rates.

“These are extraordinary, brave and brilliant young people,” said Washington, 27. “They just need adults who will see that in them.”

Roughly 50 students voluntarily arrived for Washington’s first three-hour Saturday session, held in a classroom donated by Hostos. By year’s end, roughly 120 students from 10 Bronx and Upper Manhattan high schools had participated in the free Academy.

Though many were enrolled in College Now, a CUNY program that enables high school students to earn college credits, the teens still faced an uphill battle.

Several were the children of immigrants whose parents struggled or feared to complete required financial-aid forms, Washington said. Many were first in their family to apply for college.

Others received scant guidance from their high schools on taking the SATs, choosing colleges or finding financial aid — as was the case with FLY graduate Yeisi Guzman.

“Our high school didn’t prepare us for stuff like that,” said Guzman, 17, now a student at Sage College of Albany. “For me, I was lucky enough to find the FLY Academy.”

Many of the Academy’s mentors are former Gates Scholars who coached the students as they wrote the eight required essays for the program, which pays for an undergraduate degree at any college and graduate degrees in certain fields.

Darriel McBride, the second youngest of seven children, is a FLY graduate and the first in her family to attend college. She credits the Academy’s mentors with helping her snag a Gates award — out of more than 17,000 applicants nationwide.

“If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have won the scholarship,” said McBride, now a freshman at Marist College.

Washington is well aware that even students who excel at certain Bronx high schools may still struggle in college.

Of the city’s 21 neighborhoods with the lowest college-readiness rates based on test scores, 18 are located in The Bronx, according to an analysis by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform.

To combat this, FLY Academy volunteers offer personal mentoring, tutoring and SAT prep.

They also lead candid talks about the challenges of campus life — from alcohol abuse to life as a minority at majority-white colleges — and they keep in touch with Academy graduates as they adjust to college.

On Monday, Guzman's first day of college classes, she emailed Washington for advice: how to afford expensive textbooks and a graphing calculator. Washington quickly shot back a reply.

Washington and the other mentors at FLY Academy aren’t like any she has ever had before, Guzman said later.

“They really care about you and your future and your education,” she said, “and where it can take you.”

 

AuthorAllthingsharlem | Comment1 Comment | Reference48 References |
Share
in tagged , , , , ,

PrintView Printer Friendly Version

EmailEmail Article to Friend

References (48)

References allow you to track sources for this article, as well as articles that were written in response to this article.
  • Source
    Source: Volunteers Help Bronx High School Students Win Elite College Scholarships
    by Patrick Wall at DNAinfo
  • Response
    Response: vintage mlb jerseys cheap
    at vintage mlb jerseys cheap on November 29, 2013
    855 You will require 9 dim strips and eight white strips to the weave. The one continuous that continues to be within our kid's life, 12 months in, year out, louis vuitton trunk collection appears to be being their essentially phobic distaste for going for walks.
  • Response
    Response: kitchen renovation company gold coast
    at kitchen renovation company gold coast on April 18, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: loss journey
    at loss journey on May 9, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: парфюмерия украина
    at парфюмерия украина on May 14, 2014
    see here for top quality ??????? ????????? ???? around
  • Response
    Response: buygreencoffeebeanextraction.webs.com
    at buygreencoffeebeanextraction.webs.com on May 16, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: http://www.youtube.com
    at http://www.youtube.com on May 17, 2014
    продвижение сайтов|раскрутка сайта|seo оптимизация|раскрутка|оптимизация сайта|создание и продвижение сайтов|seo продвижение сайта|seo|продвижение сайтов москва|
  • Response
    Response: feministing.com
    at feministing.com on May 20, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: pubic hair removal
    at pubic hair removal on May 23, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Amazing Selling Machine
    at Amazing Selling Machine on June 9, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: http://ewcenter.org
    at http://ewcenter.org on July 25, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: essay jazz
    at essay jazz on August 3, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: 亚太集团周华 Asia-Pacific Group
    at 亚太集团周华 Asia-Pacific Group on August 6, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: garcinia benefits
    at garcinia benefits on September 4, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: doriskoehler.at
    at doriskoehler.at on September 6, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: http://topbusinessad.in/ads/190/
    at http://topbusinessad.in/ads/190/ on September 9, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Bench Craft Company
    at Bench Craft Company on September 20, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: bench craft company ownership
    at bench craft company ownership on September 21, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Supreme Garcinia
    at Supreme Garcinia on September 21, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: justgoodart.ru
    at justgoodart.ru on September 26, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Eyeluminous Review
    at Eyeluminous Review on October 1, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Rejuvius Review
    at Rejuvius Review on October 1, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Hydroderm Review
    at Hydroderm Review on October 2, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: qwe20
    at wer20 on October 2, 2014
  • Response
    Response: Pure Collagen Reviews
    at Pure Collagen Reviews on October 4, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Juveliere Review
    at Juveliere Review on October 5, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Juveliere Review
    at Juveliere Review on October 5, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: bench craft company
    at bench craft company on October 9, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: AT Partnerships
    at AT Partnerships on October 9, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: AT Partnerships
    at AT Partnerships on October 9, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: multi-Tool
    at multi-Tool on November 21, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: multi-Tool
    at multi-Tool on November 21, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Nicholas Alsis
    at Nicholas Alsis on November 26, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Arthur Falcone
    at Arthur Falcone on November 28, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Kion Kashefi
    at Kion Kashefi on December 2, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Corey Park
    at Corey Park on December 3, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Dr Rashmi Patel dental license suspended
    at Dr Rashmi Patel dental license suspended on December 8, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Vincent Malfitano
    at Vincent Malfitano on December 10, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Corey Park scam
    at Corey Park scam on December 11, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: UK Models
    at UK Models on December 17, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: storage shed
    at storage shed on December 17, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: storage shed
    at storage shed on December 17, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: UK Models
    at UK Models on December 21, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: David Drwencke
    at David Drwencke on December 22, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: internetmarketing tips
    at internetmarketing tips on December 26, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: USHUD
    at USHUD on December 27, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: USHUD
    at USHUD on December 28, 2014
    The Fly Academy's College Prep Program Shines in the Bronx - All Things Harlem - News, Video, Opinion
  • Response
    Response: Best Essay Writing Services
    by Clare Abbot at Best Essay Writing Services on October 24, 2016
    The college program about which you have mentioned was a great program according to my experience.

Reader Comments (1)

Congratulation for all of you guys, I hope you dreams come true.
I have no idea how I found this site but it was pleasure to read about your academy, your dreams, your passions.
Good Luck !

November 11, 2013 | Unregistered CommenterDavid ( PL )

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.

My response is on my own website »
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>

Notify me of follow-up comments via email.