Believe the Valedictorian Dream
“I want to be Valedictorian.” A powerful freshman set out to achieve this dream early in her high school career. While talking with her counselor, Angie Sumo manifested what she would accomplish four years later. Her counselor, an Elevated mentor, knew exactly what Angie needed to do to accomplish all her educational goals. Like many other young Black students, Angie found her way to Elevated where she was placed in one of our nine cohorts. It is then that the programming of our amazing staff and Elevated mentors shines.
The Elevated program is built to empower Black youth and their families by providing mentorships, equitable opportunities, and collegiate access to succeed in higher education and beyond. Open to 8th-12th grade students, our Elevated mentors stay with the same kids for several years. This allows them to build a robust relationship of trust, support, and guidance that is critical to their growth in education. Our programming is vital to accomplishing our mission. We seek to empower youth to explore post-secondary options through a holistic approach with other equitable support options as needed. Currently, Elevated serves 144 students in Colorado Springs.
Elevated students attend monthly events that fall into one of three focus areas: academics, emotional well-being, and leadership. These events have included rope courses, hockey games, splatter rooms, college visits, volunteer opportunities, and roller derbies this year, but they are always changing. Beyond events, Elevated students are also given help in preparing to apply for colleges and scholarships through a partnership with Peak Education and their Director of College Counseling, Jasmine Rainey. Services include college counseling, college counseling events like college fairs, resume building, and FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) help. Each year, students are given tasks to complete to ensure their readiness for college and keep them on track.
On completion of the Elevated program, students are given a grant based on their time spent with Elevated. Students who complete four years are awarded $5,000. On top of our grant, Elevated students are exceptional at receiving scholarships they apply for. This year’s senior class raised over $1.9 million in scholarships!
While we hear delightful stories from our Elevated students about their adventures, nothing makes us prouder than seeing these kids succeed and accomplish all their dreams. Elevated students are leaders, scholars, athletes, actors, student body presidents, volunteers, and so much more. They graduate from local state and community colleges before high school, become Valedictorians and Salutatorians, and win championships. We know the Elevated program will continue to see exceptional and determined students like Miss Sumo as it grows and expands!