On Wednesday, May 19th, Grenville Baker Boys & Girls Club marked the culmination of our College Prep program with our annual College Signing Day. Teen Program Director, Stephanie Urio, kicked off the event with words of congratulations to our seniors and then moderated a panel of ten of our graduating seniors who had gone through our College Pep program.
Each of our teen panelists announced which school they plan to start at in the fall of 2021, as well as their intended major. Younger Club members in middle school and high school listened attentively as our seniors shared their insights about the college admissions process. Our younger high school members were especially interested in hearing about college campus visits, as well as the challenges along the way —like waiting for their acceptance letters or filing the FAFSA! Our graduating seniors encouraged their junior counterparts to stay involved at the Club and take advantage of resources like SAT prep and college tours.
One highlight of the evening was a check presentation from one of our College Prep program funders, Long Island Community Foundation, with special guest Marie Smith, Director of Donor Relations & Communications at the Foundation. We were equally delighted that some of our College Prep Alumni also joined us for this event, offering our graduating seniors their perspectives of college life. It was wonderful to see so many kids mentoring one another!
Thanks to the great planning of our Teen Staff, the festive evening ended with pizza, laughs, and a great sense of accomplishment.