Edgardo and Ishmael are two SSP students from the Bronx, but it wasn't until recently that they met. Why? Because these two top scholars are both heading to Notre Dame in the fall!
Ishmael and Edgardo have much in common. They’re both from the Bronx, and they both have attended private high schools in their home borough with the help of scholarships from Student Sponsor Partners. Ishmael is preparing to graduate from Cardinal Hayes High School and Edgardo from All Hallows High School. They’ve actually crossed paths these past few years as they’ve commuted to their respective schools, but it wasn’t until recently that the two soon-to-be graduates actually met. But that meeting promises to lead to an ongoing friendship, as both these two SSP scholars will head from the Bronx to Indiana, where they will begin their next steps at the University of Notre Dame.
Serving 100 percent students from backgrounds living below the poverty line, SSP is proud to boast a consistent college acceptance rate of 99 percent, and SSP graduates are four times more likely than their demographic peers nationwide to earn a college degree. Exemplifying the success of the SSP model, we were by no means surprised when these two high-achievers were both accepted to such a prestigious university.
Edgardo was selected as a Peter M. Flanigan Scholar a year ago, and with this gap award added to his financial aid offered by the university, he will attend Notre Dame with all costs covered. Ishmael, a semifinalist for the Flanigan award, was accepted to Notre Dame with early admittance through the QuestBridge matching program, which will provide him a full scholarship to pursue his studies. As Edgardo prepares to pursue studies in accounting and Ishmael in electrical engineering, the two have bright futures ahead while having to take on little to no debt.
Edgardo was inspired to go to Notre Dame after talking with two of his teachers at All Hallows who had studied there. He had always been a good student and saw himself thriving at such a quality school. “When I went on the visit, it just confirmed everything that was said,” he recalled. “They have a strong support system, a strong alumni network, which. The campus just left me in awe. The programs are really good. I’m excited to be in the 4+1 accounting program, which will allow me to leave after five years with my CPA.”
For Ishmael, it was a family connection that not only inspired him to go to Notre Dame but to turn around his performance in school, so he could. Ishmael had recently failed 7th grade when he went a year later to visit his older sister at Notre Dame, where she was studying. “The campus immediately struck me. The golden dome, the grotto, the ducks… the dining hall food,” he recalled, prompting Edgardo to also gush over the food he ate there on campus. “At first, I thought school was just about school, learning stuff. School has a bunch of opportunities, sports, finding out what you’re into. Once I went to Notre Dame, I realized if I worked as hard as my sister did, I could go wherever I want. It motivated me to actually start working hard. The fact that I’m actually going to the school, it’s amazing!”
From failing 7th grade, Ishmael is now preparing to graduate with a 96 GPA in the top 10 in his class, of which he is the president. Both Edgardo and Ishmael credit SSP with the opportunities that have led them to this point in their journeys, both for giving them the means to attend private high schools that prepared them and providing additional guidance to help them succeed in high school.
“I love how SSP plans events to connect everyone together. I’m really grateful for that and for everything that they do for me,” Edgardo said. “It’s an amazing organization that empowers us and assists us in the needs that we can’t provide. Financially, I didn’t have to worry about paying for school. My main focus was studies. I wouldn’t have gone to All Hallows without SSP, and I wouldn’t be going to Notre Dame without SSP. Being able to reach out to them and having people to talk to who understand and have similar backgrounds, it’s amazing.”
Beyond the activities and support, Ishmael added that the connections he made were truly helpful. “My mentor, Amir, he’s been great. He also attended Cardinal Hayes. He helped guide me throughout my high school journey and gave me good advice any time he called me. I’m always blessed to have a mentor like him,” he recalled. “Without SSP, I wouldn’t be where I am today. SSP is a great organization that’s helped so many students strive, and I’m so grateful for that.”
Edgardo and Ishmael are just two of our students who are preparing to head to college in the fall. While many are making final decisions and enrolling still, some of the other schools attended by recent SSP graduates and alumni include:
• Baruch College • Columbia University • Cornell University • Fordham University • Howard University • Iona College • New York University • Pennsylvania State University • St. John’s University • SUNY Binghamton • SUNY Stony Brook • Tufts University • University of Florida • University of Pennsylvania • University of Rhode Island
