Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE) welcomed more than 200 ninth and tenth graders as incoming YPIE Scholars, the newest members of the YPIE community on the path to college success. YPIE partners with students to ensure they are ready for, enroll in, and complete college.
In the second virtual YPIE Scholar Induction Ceremony, incoming Scholars joined with their families to hear experiences and insights from current YPIE Scholars from across the Yonkers high schools.
“Since I was in ninth grade, YPIE really gave me endless opportunities to help spark my curiosity, not limiting me to anything,” said Alessandra. “That allowed me to grow as a whole individual and discover what my passion is, teaching me that it could be anything and everything I want it to be.”
“When I joined YPIE, I was surrounded by people who cared about the same interests and had the same goals as me,” added Nicolas. “YPIE really helped me become more social and confident, and I’m proud of the person that I’m today because of it.”
“One way that YPIE helped me grow was the emphasis on college. I didn’t really have an interest in going to college until I joined this program,” said Gian.
YPIE welcomed Scholars from all eight Yonkers high schools. The incoming Class of YPIE Scholars was selected because of their drive, commitment, and focus on their future.
“Each of you went through a challenging application process and were ultimately selected for a reason,” said Sam Wallis, YPIE Executive Director. “With all that is going on right now, there’s a lot of uncertainty and the future might look challenging. But, we can assure you that by becoming a YPIE Scholar, we are going to figure this all out together.”
Many existing YPIE students shared words of advice with the incoming Scholars:
“One piece of advice as a first-gen student for ninth-grade scholars is to take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to you,” said Alessandra.
Joshua added “Always choose to do what you do instead of doing something that feels forced. Trust me these next four years. If you do something that you want to do passionately, you are most likely to be successful.”
“One piece of advice for the new Scholars is that success is not final and failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts,” said Nicolas. “And, remember the biggest mistake you ever make is to be too afraid to make one. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and experience things. It can really change your life.”
The YPIE Scholars Induction Ceremony concluded with new Scholars reciting the YPIE Commitment to Excellence and enthusiastic applause as their names were presented on the screen.
“We are a community of Scholars on the path to college,” said Alessandra as she read one of the tenets of the YPIE Commitment to Excellence.
YPIE Scholars receive rigorous academic tutoring, an introduction to career pathways, assistance throughout the college process, and ongoing support from YPIE staff and volunteer mentors from our community. Learn more at ypie.org.
