KIPP HS sends 285 seniors to college
BY JASON COHEN
COVID-19 did not prevent
students at one south Bronx
high school from getting into
college.
KIPP NYC College Prep
High School at 201 East 144th
St., will send 285 graduates to
colleges, including Cornell,
CUNY Schools, Howard University,
NYU, Princeton, Stanford,
SUNY Schools and the
University of Pennsylvania.
This is the high school’s
eighth graduating cohort of
students hailing from Harlem,
Washington Heights, Crown
Heights and the south Bronx.
74 percent of the students will
be fi rst generation college
students.
Given the challenges of fi -
nalizing college acceptance
remotely in the middle of a
health crisis, KIPP helped students
and families through
virtual college counseling and
fi nancial aid support.
“This year’s list of college
matriculations is a true testament
to the incredible work
of all our KIPP students who
tackled adversity and climbed
the ladder of success, and the
devotion of our KIPP teachers
and college counselors,”
said KIPP NYC College Prep
High School principal Carlos
Capellan. “I speak for the entire
staff when I say nothing
makes us prouder than seeing
our students graduate and
represent the KIPP community
as they start their college
journey at top academic institutions
Older Americans Month 2020: Make Your Mark
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,14 MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 BTR
across the country.”
According to data released
by the school:
88 percent of students committed
to college as of May 20,
which will grow to an estimated
91 percent by June 1.
60 percent of students who
applied early decision or restrictive
early action were accepted.
5,400 total applications
were submitted by the class.
2,100 total acceptances
were received as of May 15,
with many decisions outstanding
due to revised college timelines,
an average of seven acceptances
per student.
Two-thirds of students will
have their full fi nancial needs
met.
Final acceptance numbers
will be available in early
June.
“At KIPP NYC, our goal
is for students to develop the
skills necessary to go to and
through college by providing
a comprehensive learning experience,
an enriching array
of extracurriculars, and helping
them navigate challenging
college preparatory courses,”
said Rebekah Bambling, director
of College Counseling
at KIPP NYC. “Although we
faced unprecedented challenges
navigating the shift to
remote learning and college
counseling this year, KIPP
has remained steadfast in our
commitment to provide our
students and families with the
highest quality education and
support they need to achieve
their long-term academic and
career goals.”
The KIPP Through College
& Career (KTCC) program
prepares students for the college
admissions process and
provides them with a college
counselor in their senior year
to navigate the application
process. Thes counselors ensure
students are applying
to schools that have a strong
track record of graduating
fi rst-generation college students
and provide adequate fi -
nancial aid
“KIPP teachers and college
counselors have supported my
academic goals, fostered personal
passions, and set me up
for college success,” said Kallyn
Batista, a KIPP NYC College
Prep High School senior
who will be attending the University
of Wisconsin-Madison
in the fall as a Posse Scholar.
“I look forward to beginning
my college journey and hope
to mentor and encourage
other students from similar
backgrounds like mine to pursue
their dreams.”
KIPP NYC College Prep High School, send 90 percent of its seniors to
college. Courtesy of KIPP
Each May, we celebrate Older
Americans Month. This year’s
theme of Make Your Mark encourages
older Americans to
make a difference and contribute
to their communities. Here in New
York City, older adults are helping
their communities by showing
incredible strength, resiliency,
and adaptability that is helping
fellow New Yorkers stay strong.
In the last two months, more
than 17,000 older New Yorkers
in our network have participated
in virtual programming, which is
helping older adults stay connected
with each other and providing the
necessary comradery, inclusion and
emotional support they need during
this crisis.
During the early stages of the
pandemic, the City Department for the
Aging (DFTA) began to transition its
in-person services to phone-based and
virtual services that could be accessed
safely at home. Currently, more than
half of DFTA’s network – about 170
senior centers and clubs – are providing
phone-based and virtual programs,
including fitness, cultural, and arts and
crafts classes to help older adults stay
active and engaged.
Many of these programs are being
offered through video conferencing
platforms like Zoom, which prior to
COVID-19, not many of us had used.
Some wondered whether older New
Yorkers could adapt and be able to use
remote, virtual programs. As usual, older
New Yorkers defied expectations. For Iris
Galloza, a member of Neighborhood
Shopp’s Casa Boricua Senior Center in
the Bronx, having to learn Zoom did
not stop her from keeping in touch with
fellow center members. She learned Zoom
and now attends virtual programs offered
by Casa Boricua a few times every week,
which has helped lift her spirits during
the pandemic.
“The people at Casa Boricua are my
family. The first couple of weeks of not
being able to go to the center were hard. I
felt so sad,” Galloza said. “But now
we have classes and activities on
Zoom. Seeing each other has made
a huge difference.”
Earlier this month, Galloza and
other Casa Boricua Senior Center
celebrated Cinco de Mayo virtually
by having a talent showcase,
where they sang and performed
traditional Mexican music.
“I’ve learned a lot of new
technology in the last two
months,” Iris said. “I had never
used Zoom before, but now I use
it all the time.”
To connect even more older
New Yorkers with virtual programs
and services, the City is distributing
10,000 free tablets to older New York
City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
residents. Along with our partner, Older
Adults Technology Services (OATS),
we are providing a step-by-step tablet
manual guide, online courses on email
and internet searches, and a helpline
where tablet recipients can call for
technical support.
We New Yorkers, regardless of age, have
had to learn to adapt to this new digital
normal and connecting remotely. And
as they’ve done before, older Americans
are leading by example. By logging in
virtually, they are staying connected
with each other and helping provide the
emotional support and inclusion needed
to stay strong during this crisis.
Thank you, older New Yorkers, for
continuing to Make Your Mark on our
beloved City.
To learn more about virtual programs
being offered by DFTA, call Aging Connect
at 212-AGING-NYC (212-244-6469).
Older adults from Casa Boricua, a senior center in the Bronx,
during a Cinco de Mayo celebration held on Zoom.
NYC Department for the
Aging Commissioner
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez