Navient Foundation contributes $10,000 to TeenSHARP program to increase underrepresented students’ access and success at co...
July 06 2017 - 9:01AM
College is more important than ever, with degree completion
correlated with financial health and career success down the road.
Though many high schoolers will go on to pursue higher education
once they graduate, the path to college may seem less clear for
some than it is for others. TeenSHARP, a nonprofit organization,
seeks to prepare and encourage talented African-American and Latino
students to attend and thrive at our nation’s top colleges.
Navient Foundation, the company-sponsored philanthropic fund,
contributed $10,000 to TeenSHARP’s College Access Ambassador
Training program. Intended for grades nine through 12, the
four-year program is designed for teens who demonstrate high
academic promise and leadership.
"TeenSHARP is committed to lowering barriers to elite college
education for youth who have been out-privileged for far too long,"
said Tatiana Poladko, founder and executive director,
TeenSHARP.
Despite never getting less than an A on her report cards, one
TeenSHARP participant, Alejandra, learned she was still behind in
mathematics and Spanish, making her less likely to get accepted
into an elite college.
“Pre-calculus was the highest level of math offered at my school
and I had only formally taken one year of Spanish,” she said. “As a
junior, I learned that the expectation was that I should complete
four. TeenSHARP developed an action plan for me to take courses
after hours at Wilmington University, Del Tech and University of
Delaware.”
Alejandra credits TeenSHARP for leading her down the road to
academic success and, ultimately, her admission into Wesleyan
University in Connecticut with a full scholarship, where she begins
this fall.
“My eyes were filled with tears when I found out I had been
accepted,” she said. “I know that without TeenSHARP’s support, I
would have never known the ways in which my academic journey was
lacking, not to mention being able to find solutions to address
those areas.”
Held at University of Delaware every Saturday from August
through May, the TeenSHARP program offers college-level seminars,
one-on-one academic advising and mentoring, academic tutoring in
various disciplines, meetings with inspiring professionals,
leadership coaching, college campus tours and parent coaching.
Over the course of each student’s training, participants
strengthen their personal academic skills, develop a deep
understanding of the college admissions and application process,
and take steps to bridge disparities in college awareness and
enrollment in their communities.
“Degree completion is one of the best ways to increase your
career and financial success, and it all starts with strong
preparation before entering college,” said Sheila Ryan-Macie,
senior vice president, Navient. “We are proud to support TeenSHARP
to not only help open the door to higher education for more at-risk
students, but support them to complete their degrees.”
Those with a college degree are better off financially than
those without, according to Money Under 35, a study conducted by
Navient and the global market research company Ipsos. Degree
holders are more likely to be employed, earn higher wages, have a
higher credit score, and buy a home than those without a
degree.
Learn more about TeenSHARP.
Connect with @Navient on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and
Medium.
About NavientNavient (Nasdaq:NAVI) is a leading
provider of asset management and business processing solutions for
education, healthcare, and government clients at the federal,
state, and local levels. The company helps its clients and millions
of Americans achieve financial success through services and
support. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, Navient employs
team members in western New York, northeastern Pennsylvania,
Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and other locations. Learn
more at navient.com.
Contact:
Nick LaMastra, 302-283-2964, nicholas.lamastra@navient.com
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