A digital publication of Mindful Awareness Academy for Children
MAAC Receives $10,000 from Montclair Fund for Women
MAAC's mission of helping underserved youth achieve college readiness received a tremendous boost this month: a $10,000 donation from the Montclair Fund for Women.
"We value the important work you do and are glad to be able to support your mission," said Lori Heninger, executive director of Montclair Fund for Women.
"We are ecstatic and humbled by this generous donation from Montclair Fund for Women. When a small nonprofit receives a mighty donation, that is not only a game-changer for the organization—it's also a testament that people believe in our mission. We can't wait to put this money to work helping our most vulnerable youth reach their potential," said Andrea Smith-Morgan.
MAAC Presents 2024 Grads and College Wins
Growing up in today's society isn't easy in the best of circumstances. Many young people, including many MAAC scholars, have faced and overcome tremendous challenges. This year's graduating class is especially deserving of special recognition for their achievements. Four years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic deprived this class of students of their eighth grade activities, celebrations, and commencement exercises. This was not about to stop them, and today, MAAC is extremely proud to present its graduating class of scholars and announce the next step in their individual academic journeys:
Aaron- Syracuse University
Cameron- Fordham University
Damien- Drexel University
Devin- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (full scholarship)
Harper- Montclair State University (full scholarship)
Jasmine- Rutgers University, Master's of Social Work
Lauren- Spelman College
Leilani- Rutgers University
Lisa- William Paterson University
Morgan- London
Naiya- Morgan State University
To all our MAAC scholar graduates, we stand behind you! We are so proud of you and wish you the very best success. Always remember your value: You are MAAC scholar alumni, you are awesome, and you can do ANYTHING!
When Devin Ramsay was a high school sophomore, his family asked if Devin could register for MAAC's Summer Boot Camp. Though the camp is designed for incoming seniors, Andrea invited Devin to join the program.
"I loved the free writing; to practice writing and the opportunity to get my thoughts on paper," Devin recalled of his boot camp experience. "MAAC was a part of my success. It put me ahead of the game. When I returned to school in September, I felt more prepared than most."
When it came time to apply for college, Devin cast a large but selective net over 21 schools, including Brown, Duke, Rice, Emory, Howard, and University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. After an arduous process involving letters of recommendation, essays, virtual interviews, and an impromptu challenge to come up with as many things you can do with a Coca-Cola bottle in one minute, he was awarded the Morehead-Cain Scholarship at UNC- Chapel Hill. This full scholarship covers all expenses for his undergraduate studies, and was awarded to Devin based on his leadership, moral character, academic achievement, and physical vigor.
"I'm still in shock," he said. "I'm super blessed. I'm grateful for all the opportunities, including what MAAC gave me." To Andrea, he said, "Thank you for your guidance."
To his peers, he offers this advice: "Pour yourself into it, because you can gain so much. You can only succeed."
MAAC Builds Bridges With Fellow Youth Organizations
There is an African proverb: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." As an organization, MAAC recognizes that some of its greatest achievements come from collaborative efforts, and so this summer, MAAC is teaming up with other local organizations to reach and inspire an even greater number of youth in need.
MAAC will partner with ERESC (Essex Regional Educational Services Commission) to present its Summer College Preparation Boot Camp to rising high school juniors and seniors, many of whom are experiencing homelessness or displacement. This intensive program includes assistance with college applications, essays, letters of recommendation, and "brag sheets," as well as guest speakers, virtual college tours, and more. University High School in Newark has also registered students to attend the summer boot camp. Additionally, MAAC is working with Church World Services of Jersey City to offer a two-day version of its summer boot camp to refugee and immigrant students in August.
Special thanks of gratitude go to Breakaway Prep, a dedicated longtime MAAC partner that has provided its staff free of charge to MAAC's summer boot camp for the past three years, offering valuable college readiness skills to the students. Breakaway Prep continues to assist MAAC during the school year as well.
For more information on MAAC's Summer Boot Camp, please click here.
MAAC Board Members
Yanira Amadeo LeShae Daniel Eleanor Gil-Kashiwabara * Tanya Isler-Horne
Ramel Meekins Julian Pinnix-Odrick Nadine Verna * Tamara Williams
Sent to: patty@themaac.org
Unsubscribe
Mindful Awareness Academy for Children (MAAC), PO BOX 338, Montclair, NJ 07042, United States
コメント