ASAP believes that a college education prepares students to achieve their dreams and become our next generation of leaders. In the midst of these turbulent times, at ASAP we have been helping a diverse group of high school seniors apply to college. Once again, we are working with 325 students this year at Mission High, including over 100college bound seniors to help them craft their applications. Over 90% of our students will be the first in their families to obtain a college degree.
As many of you are aware, we work with primarily low-income students of color to provide support on their paths to and through college. You can see many of the different elements of our program on the following page as described through the journey of Nour. She, along with her family, came to San Francisco from Syria in 2012, right before she entered high school. Nour and her twin brother, Salem, were both active members of ASAP and each received extensive, individualized support on their college applications. Following their graduation in 2016, Salem enrolled at UC Davis as a member of the cross country team, and Nour began at Kenyon College in Ohio.
At ASAP, we believe that if we want a better world, we need to invest in our young people like Nour. Along these lines, we want to thank all who contributed to our recent fundraiser, Champions of Tomorrow, which was held in September. We are grateful to have welcomed so many new supporters to our community through this year’s benefit. We are once again humbled by your generosity and honored to be your partners in the important work of ensuring that our students are given every opportunity to reach their full potential. Please visit our website at www.missionasap.org to see photos from the event, and/or to learn more about our programs.
Working daily with our students, we are constantly reminded of the obstacles they face.Thank you for helping us show the students of ASAP that whatever challenges they encounter, they do so with a vast community of supporters behind them. Together, we are demonstrating that involvement in ASAP can change the academic outcomes and life trajectories of the students who most deserve our support. Operating year-round within a school is precisely how we make our impact – but it requires a deep commitment, and we simply would not be able to make this commitment without your support.
With gratitude,
Liz Butler Steyer
Executive Director
Athletic Scholars Advancement Program (ASAP)
Elisha (on the right) shares her experience at Brown. Thank you for your support in helping provide our students with experiences on college campuses in the summer!
My name is Elisha Barbaree and I am currently a senior at Mission High. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend Brown University “Summer@Brown” program this summer in Providence, Rhode Island. I am writing you to thank you for your generous donation that helped me be able to attend this program.
I was able to travel from West to the East for the first time. I had stayed in Brown’s dorms for two amazing weeks. Luckily, my friend was able to come as well which made the anxiety of the unknown less overwhelming. Everyone there, on the campus and in the city, were genuinely nice.
I was able to enjoy every bit of my trip, even meeting and learning from my professor. My professor was amazing and really opened up the possibility of me pursuing counseling, hence my class being named “So You Want To Be A Counselor?” I would say the class was close to my favorite part of my experience, but exploring the city and campus itself was my absolute favorite. I not only learned in the classroom, but I learned how Providence is rich with history and delicious food. Being at Brown helped me see how mentally ready I am for college and it makes me excited to enroll in one. I was comfortable at the university and found my dorm feeling like home. I plan to apply to Brown and other universities this year with the help of my school and ASAP.
Thank you again for contributing to ASAP and making this experience possible for me and my classmates. Thanks to you I am a step closer to understanding what my ideal college is.
Note: ASAP at Mission High School (formerly Athletics Scholars Advancement Program) merged with Mission Graduates in July 2020. This article has been transferred to Mission Graduates’ website for archival purposes and reflects the work, vision, and stories of ASAP staff and students at the time of publication.