These six high school students from Detroit and New York City will be taking part in our signature essay-writing fellowship.

Debilitating pain turned me into a student I didn’t recognize. Here’s how I got back on track.

My grandparents raised me as a ‘satellite baby’ in China. When I returned to NYC at age 5, I got to know my parents for the first time.

The transfer process was time-consuming and full of disappointment. It was worth it.

After months of homelessness and despair, my family found a safe haven in Newark.

Speaking up while learning English can be terrifying.

I resented the expectation that I lead with my trauma. But trauma is not the only thing that defines me, and it’s not the only reason I deserve to go to college.

My NYC campus is famous for its academics. It’s also an incredibly creative, supportive, and idiosyncratic place. 

I had advocated for new approaches to discipline. Then I benefitted from them.

Growing up, masculinity meant denying vulnerability. There’s a better way. 

My story of school refusal and recovery

Weekly meetups at the Detroit Public Library remind my friends and me about the power of IRL connection.

Here’s what I wish I could say when someone asks, ‘Where are you from?’

At home during COVID school closures, I consumed misogynistic content in an endless loop. My brother walked me back from the brink.

Debilitating pain turned me into a student I didn’t recognize. Here’s how I got back on track.