TGR Foundation has a long-standing history and commitment to expanding access to higher education and preparing students for success in the classroom and beyond. Through our career and college readiness programs we implement a holistic approach to workshops and programs that focuses on challenges that students face, especially aspiring first generation college graduates.
From monthly workshops and multi-day academies to ongoing support for our Earl Woods Scholars, we meet students where they are and provide the resources and support needed to help them reach their dreams.
This summer, as we expanded our career and college readiness programs to Philadelphia, students experienced two of our cornerstone opportunities, College Bound Academy and Pre-College Retreat.
The first cohort in Philadelphia included 22 rising high school seniors hosted at and supported by Drexel University’s Excite Center. The free weeklong program offered students the opportunity to receive individualized support while creating their college lists, writing personal statements and navigating financial aid. The week ended with a visit to the University of Pennsylvania, where students toured the campus while learning about the different facilities and classrooms accessible to students. Being on a college campus enhanced the students’ experience as they were able to see the offerings from two prestigious universities. Participants were able to be a part of a cohort of peers aiming for college where they could support one another by providing essay feedback, sharing scholarship opportunities and being one another’s cheerleaders. The students now have access to specialized workshops and support that continue to build on the lessons they learned during the session.
College Bound Academy provides students with insider knowledge on the college application process. At TGR Foundation, we understand that limited access to resources and information about higher education processes means limited opportunities for students from low-income communities. Students who come from under-resourced communities are faced with challenges that require more extensive support. Instead of coaching students through activity lists, like student government and club sports, we must help them leverage their experience working part time jobs, caring for younger siblings and fulfilling other responsibilities after school to support their families. Along with our one-on-one support, the pedagogical models used to facilitate our career and college readiness programs are centered around empowering students to believe that they could go to any school and there is nothing beyond their reach.
While college access is necessary to expand diversity in higher education, college success stewards this work by ensuring students graduate prepared to secure and sustain meaningful careers. The summer before a student’s first semester is a very important time, especially for students from low-income communities. These students are prone to experiencing summer melt, a phenomenon where students intend to enroll but do not due to an array of factors.
Opportunities like career and college bound academies and Pre-College Retreat offer students a space to prepare for college through resource-oriented workshops but furthermore embed them within a support network to work through challenges, such as imposter syndrome. For incoming freshman, instead of getting onto a plane the first time alone to leave for college, they sit next to their cohort members to enter a space where they can test run freshman orientation surrounded by a team of staff dedicated to their success.
Through our Earl Woods Scholars Program, we have supported more than 230 alumni currently navigating careers as first-generation medical, law, social impact and STEAM professionals. Being able to establish our first cohort of scholars from Philadelphia has been an exciting journey. These students will receive many benefits outside of financial support such as one-on-one mentorship, relationships with our broader community and career development opportunities. They’ll participate in workshops on topics like financial literacy, mental health and campus resources.
Furthermore, they’re connected with a new network of students starting in the same stage, leaving home for the first time entering a new era of their lives together. This network spans four different regions: Orange County, Los Angeles and Philadelphia and the Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area, with 27 students in our class of 2028.
After the 2024 retreat, students left feeling more confident and empowered. One scholar, Victoire Ehinnou, University of Chicago class of 2028, confessed she was quite nervous about this experience and unsure of what to expect in terms of creating new relationships. However, at the end of the three days she was leading the charge on excursions and rallying friends on adventures. She shared that the team bonding activities she was able to participate in gave her the confidence to put herself out there and she now feels more comfortable about making friends in the fall.
Activities such as an escape room challenge, a nature hike and the traditional trip to In-N-Out gave students a taste of college through exposure to new experiences and different ways of creating relationships with one another.
These are two examples of the work that TGR Foundation is committed to bringing to more students in Philadelphia and beyond. Career and college readiness opportunities set the foundation for students through curated experiences, where they do not simply learn about post-secondary pathways but see themselves succeeding in college and in life.
