After completing their Summer Intensive Studies, Senior Scholars have embarked on their final year in the program, guided by Youth Advocates Sophia Mak and Deja Holden, and Mentors Jeannette Torres Molina, Tatiana Glover, and Allison Esannason.
Here is a short summary of all the amazing things they’ve been up to so far!
Senior Scholars began the semester with community building activities and shared their feelings about senior year. They set personal and group-oriented goals and expectations to help prepare them for the semester. Workshops began by introducing students to a useful and necessary organizational tool, Google Sheets! Students used google sheets to organize and track their personal college deadlines and requirements. Scholars learned that the first step to accomplishing a goal is getting organized. They got the opportunity to meet with a Columbia University admissions representative and ask questions about the college experience. As part of their research they created a list of colleges to visit, practiced their pitches, and began their college essays.
Scholars took a trip to the Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. Scholars reflected on their personal perspective and considered where or how their artwork fits into the national conversations surrounding social justice issues. As they reflected on the exhibit, students discussed the need for curators to display artwork surrounding social justice issues and artist of color. They enjoyed seeing the work and wanted to see more!
During the college choice and financing workshop, mentors Allison and Tatiana discussed the importance of creating a successful college list. Youth Advocates Sophia and Deja checked in with Scholars on their college application progress and discussed financial opportunity programs, financial aid, credit transfers, and research criteria for searching schools on College Board. Scholars and their families attended workshops together to learn about FASFA, review the documents needed to qualify for financial support, and programs that support tuition costs.
The senior scholars have also been working hard on preparing their portfolios for college applications. Scholars learned about the importance of presenting good photographs of their artwork for online submission, formatting digital files, and editing tips. Scholars learned how to archive artwork, create a title, display measurements, and create descriptions. They also practiced talking about their artwork in preparation for National Portfolio Day! National Portfolio day was truly a success as Scholars arrived early and got to visit their colleges of choice. They received insight from current professors and were able to apply the feedback to their applications!
The semester came to an end with a visit to the Nike Headquarters in NYC, with Anthony Bryant, a Senior Concept Designer for Nike Sportswear. Anthony gave students a tour of the 34thstreet Nike headquarters that housed a private indoor basketball court, a resource library, design labs, print-making facilities, a conference room, and more. The modern architecture inspired students as they sat in the conference room and learned about the different team departments such as Apparel Design, the Cultural Team, digital team, Marketing, partnerships, brand Ambassadors, Creative concepts, and the different roles they play in supporting the brand. Anthony and other staff discussed their professional journey, college experiences, and how they got to begin working at Nike. They expressed how they would have never imagined working at Nike but they’re determination, diligence, and creative passion brought them there.
With so much more to look forward to this semester, we’re excited to see how it all unfolds!
