“I try every day to embody Pathways values, by making sure the kids in my class feel at home.”

“Before I became part of Pathways, I was really lost in the college process.”

“Pathways taught us something we couldn’t learn anywhere else.”

“I’d never thought of myself as a leader.”

Empathy, active concern and caring for others? Check. Commitment to excellence and willingness to work hard to meet and exceed high standards? Check.

“I’m going [to college] with a group of people I’m tight with and we motivate each other.”

During Pathways sessions, Gabrielle says she got some insight into the medical field through virtual visits by traveling nurses.

“Pathways taught me to have the courage to speak up for myself and to speak in front of people and have confidence.”

“I feel like I have a chance now to help Scholars reach their goal of going to college.” 

She was elated that after she was accepted as a Pathways National Scholar, a Pathways teacher recruited a nurse to be a guest speaker in a class session.

Some adults outside Pathways say that 9th grade isn’t as important for college admissions as other academic years. But Taneeyah didn’t listen. Instead, she heeded the opposite advice from her Pathways teachers.

When Pathways to College recently selected him to join seven of his peers as a paid Scholar Ambassador, it represented, in one way, the 16-year-old junior’s journey from a shy, unassuming student into a leader.

Coral’s courageous choice may very well have been inspired by a lesson she says her Pathways teachers at her Connecticut high school reinforced after she became a Pathways Scholar in 10th grade and started thinking about what colleges she wanted to apply to: “Keep your mind open.”

Elevating students to a position in which they can compete on a level playing field is what’s currently driving Isaac, who, beginning in 7th grade, taught himself computer programming, after his family couldn’t afford to pay to fix his game console.

“In all the Pathways materials mailed to me, I felt special. It was counter to the messages I was getting at school. I truly credit Pathways for dreaming alongside me and even dreaming bigger dreams than I had for myself.”

“That’s just like the Pathways teachers. They knew our population, background, community and were good at connecting with us. Sometimes in Pathways, we just needed someone to talk to.”

Sumwen found herself setting an example for her younger Pathways peers. As a high school senior she said, “I’m able to help them prepare for their senior year.”

Denzel’s two closest high school friends were Pathways Scholars and he says the bond the three of them forged during those sessions has been unbreakable.

Even sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic could not stop this high school junior from developing her keen eye for visually capturing landscapes.

He treasured knowledge, but knew he had to — against his own wishes — adopt an outwardly “hard” façade to survive his peers’ bullying.

She always knew her senior year would be challenging, but not in the ways she expected. Like millions of other high school students, when Lauren had to begin a school year remotely, she was determined to avoid the all-too-easy pitfalls of slacking off.

In high school he was, in many ways, an unusual student. Jaevon was well-rounded and possessed many gifts, but had many unconventional interests.