YMCA program spurs a new generation of college students

The number of college applicants this year rose by 6%, indicating an increase of more than 70,000 applicants since 2023, according to reports from the Common Application. High school seniors appear undeterred by the Supreme Court’s reversal of affirmative action, and the steady increase in college applicants includes a growing number of first-generation applicants hailing from hard-to-reach districts.

Legacy nonprofit institutions are doing their part to ensure that underrepresented groups have pathways to access higher education. The YMCA’s Rowe Scholar program offers students in grades 9-12 a suite of career and college readiness workshops that equip them with academic and financial literacy tools to successfully navigate the college admissions process. 

Overseeing a cohort of 1100 students, Rowe Scholars’ mentors offer admissions advice to students in addition to financial aid help, SAT prep and college tours. Based on the College Access: Research and Action College Inquiry curriculum, such programming aims to build a “comprehensive post-secondary access infrastructure” that allows first-generation college students, low-income students and students of color to pursue college enrollment and explore potential careers. Over 90% of students who participate in Rowe Scholars advance through their grades on time, with 93% of the 2023 cohort graduating high school – compared to a citywide average of 83% – and 88% of graduates matriculating into college. 

Last month, 65 of the Y’s graduating teens were celebrated as part of its annual College Decision Day event, among them first generation college students and recipients of 15 financial aid scholarships totaling $70,000. According to students, most benefited from individualized counseling on admissions essays, leadership opportunities and college campus tours. 

“The Jamaica Y personally organized college trips for us to help us get a feel for what college actually looks like so we aren't thrown into a whole new environment,” said Joyce Nandji, a YMCA graduate admitted to SUNY Alfred State University’s radiology program. “Ms. Alston also helped me a great deal with my application essay and scholarship essays. Though they did not help me choose my area of study, my YMCA made the process way less intimidating because I had more support.”

Y mentors also helped first-time applicants and parents navigate filling out Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms and loan applications, among other financial hurdles of the admissions process. 

“Being a first generation college student definitely holds a lot of weight and pressure but the outcome in the end will be so much more worth it,” Nandji said. “I did a lot of the college process without help from my parents because this whole system is simply so new to them. It was as new to them as it was to me. I made sure I did my part because I know they already have to work hard on a daily basis to simply pay for college.”

In addition to Rowe Scholars, students gained leadership lessons from the Y’s Youth and Government program, Teens Take the City and Leaders Club, which are all aimed at building both skills and confidence to inform future career aspirations. 

“I learned of the importance of advocacy through my time at Teens Take the City and that made me realize that I want to continue advocating for people when they feel like they can’t speak for themselves. This is one of my main motivations to pursue a career in nursing, so I can help people during their most vulnerable times,” said Lakshmi Raghunath, a YMCA graduate admitted to the Nursing Scholars Program at Hunter College. 

According to Jason Wolfe, director of the YMCA's college and career programs, many graduates tend to enroll in city and state colleges, a trend that has increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As alumni, Y graduates have access to job fairs and are encouraged to mentor upcoming generations. 

“I am my family’s first generation college student, so it’s an honor to have so much support from my fellow YMCA members from all over New York City,” said Christopher Huggins Brown, a Y student admitted to Morgan State University. “It’s an honor to share a beautiful raw authentic experience with them and I’m so forever grateful for opportunities to better myself each and every day.”