CALLING ALL SUMMER 2012 NEW YORK PEER LEADERS

Join us for our 7th Annual Peer Leadership Reunion & Conference as we work together to make your senior year the best year yet!

Activities throughout the day to include:

• College Summit College Fair
• A session on how to engage your classmates with activities to forge a college-going culture
• Special performances and guest speaker

Come reunite with other Peer Leaders and select Alumni Leaders from your workshop!

Register here

College Summit New York 2012 Alumni Leader Graduates

Shukria Akhtar, Hartwick College
Siraj Bah, Sage College of Albany
Kemara Grenardo, Monroe College
Fahtima Jefferson, Florida Memorial University
Omezie Omeokwe, SUNY Purchase
Andrea Perez, Soka University
Ana Reyes, Tiffin University
Hannah Tall, Pace University
Princess Taylor, St. John's University
Dana-Kae Walsh, Union College

We are SUPER-proud of our 2012 college GRADUATES!!

College Summit New York AIDS Walk Reflections

Matthew Galarza (Organizer, Alumnus)

I woke up at six in the morning thinking today is the day! I arrived at Columbus Circle at seven in the morning, highly anticipating everyone to join me. As I saw groups, sororities, fraternities and organizations gather all around me I still felt alone. No one had showed up yet but I still had hope. In an instant PLs and Alumni were slowly showing up. We assembled and gathered at our post in Central Park. We played the ice breaker “Pony” to give us a surge of energy before the walk.

The walk was quite interesting.  I saw the beauty of my organization. How strangers became friends, how old alumni connected with the new, and just pure College Summit harmony. We were drained by the sun but had an overwhelming amount of fun. I'm highly anticipating next year.

Stephanie Niu (Peer Leader)

When I first stepped out of the subway I was confused. Everyone walked in packs with colorful shirts while I was racing to find the rest of the College Summit team. Even then, I was a little nervous since I only knew two people who were joining us that day. When I found them, it was great to see the black and gray shirts stand out and the nervous feeling subsided. Our pre-walk was the best part. We showed off our College Summit swag and dance to the Pony Game in the middle of Central Park which probably freaked everyone out, but it pumped us up for the walk.

It was great that it didn't rain during the walk, but it was hot. Every few blocks there would be a rush of air that kept us going, though. Even if we were under the sun, we managed to walk nonstop until 110th street on the West Side and finished record time, back down to 59th Street. The whole walk was really fun and a perfect way for Peer Leaders and Alumni to interact. Though we did not all know each other, we had a common goal--finishing the walk, raising money for the cause, and keeping the College Summit network going, new friends were made, new stories were shared, and new memories were added to all of the ones we already had from the workshop. With our sore feet, we felt powerful and proud as we walked past the finish line.

Ana Reyes (Alumna)

As I walked through Central Park, I became overwhelmed with emotions because this is the first walk College Summit Peer Leaders and Alumni have ever participated in. Another reason for the influx of emotions was the huge impact HIV/AIDS has on my life and those around me. While in high school, I met a friend who disclosed to me that she was HIV positive, and her mother passed away from AIDS. This didn’t change the way we interacted nor how I thought/felt about her. That day her struggle became mine, thus I would like to take this time to thank Matthew for organizing the College Summit team. This is what College Summit is all about! 

 

Alumni Highlight: Khamel Chapman

Khamel was born and raised in New York City and is a graduate of Acorn High School. He is currently a freshman at Daemen College in Amherst NY, majoring in Social Work.

As a freshman Khamel has taken the initiative to become an active contributor to campus life, participating in various leadership capacities while concentrating on his academic prowess.  Currently he is the Public Relations Officer of the Black Student Union and hopes to hold a position as a Student Alumni Ambassador.  Most recently, Khamel was a participant of the Western New York Student Leadership conference, with aims of improving on his leadership skills for himself and others around him. Khamel also balances this all with a position with Academic Computing.

Khamel explains that his time with College Summit has had a huge impact on his continuing success.  “Through College Summit I had the ability to develop a sense of confidence that I did not possess before, I was able to immerse myself into any space and feel welcome and have other feel just as welcome. Additionally, I now understood certain things about financial aid that I did not know before”

Khamel credits College Summit with putting him in a position ahead of his peers.  “It helped me to become focused… College Summit helped me to know that college was a reality even for someone who was considered a product of a social welfare system… this year I renewed my FAFSA using knowledge I had gained from CS Alumni and staff.   Overall, College Summit made clear that college was an affordable option.”

Upon graduation Khamel wants to work on developing and enhancing Social Welfare programs.  He says, “I have experienced it, I know what works and what doesn’t. Coupled with my education I know I can provide the necessary change… I want to use my experiences as strengths, rather than something that holds you back or keep you down.”

Khamel will be serving as an Alumni Leader in the summer of 2012, “I had to give back the knowledge I received.”  Khamel believes that he has a story to tell and if that story can impact at least one individual then he is doing something noteworthy. “Those four days were an experience for me, an experience I want to ensure others have the opportunity to be a part of.”