Graduate of Middlesex College’s Success Bound is Now Harvard Bound

“Success Bound helped me with a lot of things,” Merino Martinez said.

“Everything was very accessible. The internships were incredible, the organizations I worked with provided transformational experiences. The whole thing made me confident entering the college application process, which you don’t see a lot. Success Bound lets you know that there’s a community of people willing to help you every day.”

Started in 2018, Success Bound is an educational program between Middlesex College and high schools in Perth Amboy, Carteret and South Amboy that exposes high school students to college experiences, including taking college classes they can transfer to a four-year institution. It also opens the door to internships and employment opportunities.

Merino Martinez was a sophomore at the Academy for Urban Leadership when he learned about the program. He found the coursework to be engaging, enjoying the ability to get to know college professors. “You can learn English, math and science anywhere, but getting to know the teachers heightens your potential,” said Merino Martinez.

“There was never a dull moment. It almost seems overwhelming to have absorbed all this information. I am grateful for the opportunity to be surrounded by so many great individuals.”

When applying to colleges, Merino Martinez had his eyes on Princeton – he had even bookmarked the admissions page on his computer. He applied to Harvard almost as a throwaway. He figured he have an application waiver fee, so why not?

When he sat down at his computer to see where he had been accepted, he was stunned. He was turned down by six schools, but the last link he opened was from Harvard.

“I had no hope at all,” Merino Martinez said. “But I remember seeing confetti on the screen and my sister and my mom jumping up and down. If you had told me a year ago – or even a few months ago – that I’d be going to Harvard, I wouldn’t have believed you. I mean there are dream schools and then Harvard is the one above that.”

Merino Martinez plans on studying Economics and Computer Science to start. His dream would be to open his own corporation with the aim of funneling resources to underserved school districts in order to help the next generation get ahead. Sort of like his own personal Success Bound program.

The personalized experience Success Bound provides for each and every student is what makes the program stand out, he says. He credits Success Bound as an important stepping stone to getting into Harvard.

“Success Bound gave me the confidence to even consider Harvard in the first place. Before, I didn’t even think I could get into an Ivy League. The resources, the internships, the staff support that Success Bound provided all contributed to my decision to apply to Harvard.”