A group of graduating seniors became the first students to complete the College Track program in Southeast D.C.
The scholars were honored Wednesday with its “Launch to College” ceremony. The national organization makes a 10-year commitment to low-income and first-generation students as ninth graders, helping them get into college and start their careers.
“You can’t be what you don’t see, and so make sure that people see you,” a speaker said at the ceremony.
The program helped student Dynasty Ball become a first-generation college student, line up scholarships and prepare for her fall semester at Salisbury University.
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“It just really helped us become better people,” Ball said. “Meet a whole just different world, like, I went to internships, I found out what I wanted to do when I grow up. I want to be a real estate broker.”
Ball is one of over two dozen seniors from D.C. pursuing higher education due to the program. The students had big smiles as they held shirts from their respective colleges at the ceremony.
The room was also filled with proud family members, teachers and mentors, including College Track Site Director Latisha Chisholm.
“We’re so excited. We’re so excited for them and for their families,” Chisholm said.
She has met with the students every week since they started the program in 2020.
“They had to figure out virtual programming with us. They had to transition back from virtual programming to in-person. They had to deal with their own responses to the pandemic and life and figure out how to get through high school,” Chisholm said.
Chisholm had one last reminder for the students and families heading into graduation season and summer.
“You can do anything that you dream of, and so we’re excited for what happens next,” Chisholm said.
