TeenSHARP’s STRIVER Class of 2024 Celebrates Remarkable College Acceptances, Scholarship Awards During College Signing Day Nearly 50 high-achieving Black, Latino, and low-income students collectively offered millions of dollars in scholarships to attend selective colleges nationwide.
Wilmington, Del. — In the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision and FAFSA struggles, this year the Class of 2024 had to navigate an uncertain college admissions process in addition to the tremendous obstacles and inequities underrepresented students are typically dealt.
Yet, during TeenSHARP’s College Signing Day on Thursday, May 16th at 6:30pm, nearly 50 high school seniors in the program are ready to announce the prestigious higher education options their diligence afforded them.
College Signing Day is an annual event that brings together TeenSHARP scholars, their parents, and community members to celebrate the achievements of students who are traditionally underrepresented at the most selective colleges.
This includes students like Liberty High School senior Flematu Fofana who secured acceptance offers from several top colleges, including Swarthmore, Amherst, Yale, and UPenn.
MOT Charter School senior Sabrina Zheng will also be announcing which college she selected from a list that includes Yale and Princeton.
At a time when concerns about rising student loan debt are raging, TeenSHARP seniors such as Emily Rodriguez (Conrad Schools of Science) and Ariana Zavala (Sussex Technical High School) will share about the full-ride offers they received from the highly-selective Cornell University.
Despite massive inequities in education and soaring college costs, TeenSHARP continues to level the playing field for high-achieving Black, Latino, and low-income students nationwide. “These are exactly the trajectory-altering outcomes we envisioned when we started TeenSHARP fifteen years ago with ten students. The TeenSHARP Class of 2024 persisted through unprecedented challenges and now their hard work, dedication, and pursuit of excellence have opened doors to prestigious institutions that will shape their future. We couldn’t be more proud!”
Each year, TeenSHARP delivers college prep services to hundreds of Black, Latino, and low-income students nationwide. Their services include individualized college guidance and application support, college awareness boot camps for students and parents, and year-round leadership training.
“My grandmother, whom I was named after, was never given the chance to have an education. To go from generations of being born in villages to now attending university truly fills my heart with gratitude and I cannot wait to make my ancestors and family proud. “I’m thankful for TeenSHARP and the support that they have given me. Thanks to them, I have earned nearly $1 million in merit-aid from top colleges and universities,” said Flematu who will be attending Yale University this fall.
As TeenSHARP honors the hard work and accomplishments of its senior class on May 16th from 6:30pm – 8pm during College Signing Day, the program is also inviting talented Black, Latino, and low-income rising seniors nationwide to apply to join its program.
For more information about TeenSHARP and the STRIVER program, visit TeenSHARP.org.
About TeenSHARP:
TeenSHARP is a national nonprofit that prepares Black, Latino, and low-income students to attend and thrive at America’s top colleges with little or no debt. Founded in 2009 by Atnre Alleyne and Tatiana Poladko, TeenSHARP has evolved into a leading provider of innovative, at-scale college access and leadership development. Year after year, 100 percent of TeenSHARP scholars successfully pursue a 4-year college education, with 95 percent admitted to the most selective colleges; and the majority graduating with $15,000 or less in college debt. TeenSHARP’s mission is in service of a bold vision that, one day, the diversity of our country’s top jobs and most influential leadership positions will reflect the country’s rich diversity.
