Jelitza Herrera

Bright Prospect empowers high potential, low-income students to gain admission, succeed and graduate from four-year colleges and universities by providing a comprehensive counseling and support system throughout their high school and college years. Students enroll in Bright Prospect the summer after their 9th grade year of high school and start with a week long Summer Academy session that teaches “college knowledge” followed by year-round programming at the high schools preparing them with college-readiness life skills. Each student receives the one-on-one guidance they need to apply to the most selective colleges they are qualified for, including public and private colleges. Bright Prospect also provides need-based partial scholarships and continuous mentorship up until college graduation. Any student can join the Bright Prospect program, but must show effort and improvement in order to continue each year. A key aspect of the Bright Prospect Program is the CREWS System which stands for College Readiness, Retention and Engagement with Students. CREWS help students to develop leadership, communication, organization and management skills.A crew has five or six members who encourage each other and assume specific responsibilities for organizing activities. This model promotes a college-going culture at our high schools and provides organized peer support among our students.