Paving the Way for College Success
Claudivel Batista started the Middlesex College pre-college program – Success Bound Youth Leadership Academy – when she was a rising senior at Perth Amboy High School, and is now firmly on the college track at Middlesex College.
“Without Success Bound I don’t think I would be where I am today for many reasons,” said Batista. “One is the connections and friendships I made which opened a lot of opportunities and doors for me. That was huge for me, and I am so grateful for the time spent in this program.”
Success Bound has been preparing high school students in Perth Amboy for college life since 2018. The program expanded to high school students in Carteret and South Amboy in 2022 to reach more students who could benefit from the program experience.
The concept of Success Bound is simple: introduce college-bound students to a myriad of college experiences early on in their high school journey all while learning more about themselves and identifying majors and career paths. These experiences in the program include taking free college classes and gaining real world work experience in paid internships.
“Our scholars have the opportunity to get a jump start on their college journey,” explained Perth Amboy’s Success Bound Program Manager Kerly Cabreja.
“They get to explore college level courses, majors, and careers while earning college credits and learning the necessary skills to become future college students.”
Acquiring College Credits and Internships While in High School
The program onboards new students in the summer with a five-week Summer Institute. During their summer experience, students take a three-credit college-level course, hear from various speakers about different employment opportunities, and are connected with paid internships. During the school year, Success Bound students have the opportunity to receive college credits from additional courses, participate in College Readiness Workshops, and get involved in a variety of civically engaged events.
Accepting Applications for Summer 2023
There were 69 students in the most recent Success Bound cohort in Summer 2022, the biggest ever, according to Cabreja. The application process has already started for students interested in joining the program for the Summer of 2023. The dates for the five-week Summer Institute are: July 10, 2023 – August 11, 2023. Success Bound is open to rising high school juniors in South Amboy and Carteret and rising juniors and seniors in Perth Amboy. Also, there is an ESL track for Perth Amboy rising junior students for whom English is a second language.
To apply for Summer 2023, applications are now available.
Starting College, Making the Dean’s List
Batista became involved in Success Bound the summer before her senior year. Through Success Bound, she got an internship at the Raritan Bay YMCA which turned into a regular position. This new opportunity allowed her to continue working and earning a living wage while entering her senior year of high school. She graduated from Perth Amboy High School in 2022 and was accepted at Middlesex College.
Batista made the Dean’s List her first semester with a major in Psychology and will take 15 credits this spring. She also works at the Perth Amboy Center of Middlesex College as an office assistant under the Federal Work-Study program.
“Through Success Bound, I learned better ways to stay organized, prioritizing my life, and creating a balance. I was always organized growing up, but my first semester in college put my skills to the test,” Batista said. “Success Bound prepared me in understanding how to be a successful college student. My first semester of college, I now knew how to manage my time and prioritize assignments and projects.”
Interested in Success Bound? Apply now.
