Philadelphia News

“I want to be a heart surgeon and open my own dance studio by age 20,” Upper Darby High School Senior Missy says with a vibrant determination. From a very early age, Missy has had two constants in her life: dance and hospitals. “I picked up dancing very young. My parents let me start going […]

5 Things We Learned from Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab During College Possible Philadelphia’s Champions for College Completion event on May 16, Executive Director Jen Weikert sat down with event honoree Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab to discuss her work and her perspective on some important topics affecting higher education. Here are five things we learned from their conversation: […]

Brad Segall, of 98.1 WOGL, recently spoke with Executive Director Jen Weikert during a segment of the Philadelphia Agenda. She was joined by Community College of Philadelphia student Aldrin Reginald and his college coach Avere Scurry. Aldrin shared his story of wanting to go to college, and the support he has received from College Possible […]

While many people are spending time searching Google for their next job, Penn Wood High School Senior Nieme Brooker plans to make Google his next job. “Growing up, I loved playing video games. Around eighth grade I started to get really interested in how video games were created. How can you tell a computer to […]

Genesis Soto, a senior at Murrell Dobbins Career and Technical Education High School, believes that every student has a right to a quality education. Her own educational experiences have shown her that this isn’t always the case. Income and zip code do have an effect on education. Genesis is committed to making a change and […]

The latest results are in and volunteering in the U.S. is at its highest level yet, according to the 2018 Volunteering in America report by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). More than 77 million volunteers across the country contributed nearly 7 billion hours worth an estimated $167 billion in economic value in […]

Brian Walsh Jr. joins  College Possible Philadelphia’s board as a Philadelphia native, holding a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Cabrini University. After completing his bachelor’s degree, Brian spent two years working as a police officer in Washington D.C. before transitioning into the financial services sector. After earning a master of business administration with a […]

Throughout the 2018-19 academic year, College Possible Philadelphia will be profiling four students thanks to a grant awarded by NRG Gives, a charitable-giving program sponsored by the NRG Retail Charitable Foundation. The grant awarded by NRG Gives will support more students in the greater Philadelphia area get to and persist through to college graduation. Egypt Maddy, […]

As National College Decision Day approaches on May 1, 2018, high school seniors in the Greater Philadelphia area are seeing their dedication and hard work pay off. For Camellia Brown and Chelsea Jean-Baptiste seniors at Parkway Center City Middle College, their dream of attending college is now a reality; both are attending Temple University this […]

College Possible Philadelphia is pleased to welcome a new member to our site board. Tony Lopes is Philadelphia native who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and legal studies from Temple University, a juris doctor from Rutgers University-Camden, and a master of law degree in tax law from Temple University. Currently, Tony works in […]

Every year AmeriCorps Week celebrates AmeriCorps members past and present for their dedication and commitment to “Get Things Done.” College Possible Philadelphia sat down to speak with four current AmeriCorps members and an AmeriCorps alum. Each day we will be sharing their stories of service and gratitude. Kelly Smemo – College Community Partners Team Member When […]

Engaging families and trusted adults in a student’s college decision making is a key element to the $1 million AT&T Aspire grant to College Possible. The grant will help programs in Minnesota and Pennsylvania, including Penn Wood, Upper Darby and George Washington High Schools. In an effort to connect with students and their families, College […]

Each year, College Possible celebrates AmeriCorps Week – a week designed to acknowledge and honor past and present service members’ commitment to their community. The work that AmeriCorps members do in their communities is invaluable and the sacrifices members make to do this work is admirable. The AmeriCorps experience is incredibly unique; it is simultaneously […]

Throughout the 2018-19 academic year, College Possible Philadelphia is profiling four students thanks to a grant awarded by NRG Gives, a charitable-giving program sponsored by the NRG Retail Charitable Foundation. The grant awarded by NRG Gives will support more students in the greater Philadelphia area get to and persist through to college graduation. As a senior […]

By Ian Reitz “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At College Possible Philadelphia, we are committed to serving the Philadelphia region by supporting students from low-income backgrounds on their journeys to earning college degrees. During this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day […]

On May 16, College Possible Philadelphia hosted its inaugural Champions for College Completion, a cocktail reception celebrating students on their journeys to earning a four-year degree and honoring Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, professor of higher education policy & sociology at Temple University and founder of the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice in Philadelphia, as […]

Earlier this year, Chestnut Hill College became a Bridge partner by committing to serve College Possible students through exclusive events and targeted coaching that exposes them to the opportunities the college offers. We spoke with Director of Admissions, John Solewin, on how Chestnut Hill College will be supporting students this year. What is Chestnut Hill College […]

During a recent interview with Comcast Newsmakers’ Jill Horner, Executive Director Jen Weikert spoke about how College Possible Philadelphia is closing the degree divide in Philadelphia. As she explained, “jobs of the future will require a college degree.” Watch as Jen discussed how College Possible Philadelphia supports students who have college aspirations and have overcome […]

Executive Director Jen Weikert recently spoke with iHeartRadio’s Loraine Morrill about College Possible’s work in the Greater Philadelphia area. She was joined by Cabrini University Freshman and College Possible student Chama Imani. Jen touched upon her own experience as a first-generation college student and how it resonates with the work she is doing today. Chama […]

    Isabelle recently graduated from George Washington High School and will be attending Howard University in the fall! Watch her talk about how College Possible helped motivate her to believe beyond her own expectations and see her dreams come true. Isabelle is an amazing student and we are so excited for her! With your […]

On June 15, College Possible Philadelphia hosted Launch! 2019, an annual end-of-year student celebration for high school juniors and seniors at the Howard Gittis Student Center on Temple University’s campus. Launch! 2019 kicked off with a program featuring remarks from College Possible high school coaches, swag give-a-ways donated from colleges and universities across the country, […]

During its first event of the New Year, It’s a Matter of Degrees: Cocktails and Conversation, College Possible Philadelphia utilized its platform to shed light on the growing concern of food scarcity on college campuses across America. Guests were invited to bring nonperishable goods to be donated to Temple University’s first on-campus food pantry. An estimated […]

On May 9, 2018, College Possible Philadelphia won $20,000 from “NRG Gives,” a charitable-giving program sponsored by the NRG Retail Charitable Foundation. From April 30 to May 7, College Possible Philadelphia and two other local nonprofits competed in an online voting campaign for a chance to win $100,000 from the energy solutions provider’s charitable program. The […]

1 of 10 Recipients of $9.25 Million in Contributions to Organizations Across the U.S. Due to College Possible’s success supporting and motivating underserved students to prepare for college and earn their degrees, it has been selected as one of 10 recipients nationwide to share in $9.25 million in celebration of AT&T Aspire’s 10-year anniversary. Launched […]

College Possible Philadelphia Executive Director Jen Weikert spoke with NBC10 News anchor Erin Coleman about the work that the organization is doing in the Philadelphia area to coach and support students. She also addressed the importance of a college degree to be more competitive in today’s workforce. Cabrini University Freshman Chama Imani spoke about her […]

For the third consecutive year, College Possible Philadelphia has partnered with the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) to help students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during the 2018-19 school year. Through this district-wide FAFSA Completion Challenge, College Possible Philadelphia’s college coaches provide financial aid coaching to seniors at A. Philip Randolph […]

As we enter spring, colleges and universities have begun sending out their admissions decisions—which makes for a very exciting time here at College Possible. Many of our seniors have received multiple acceptances and are now making their decisions on where they will be next year. Jamilla, a senior at West Philadelphia High School, has five […]

While completing her bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Sarah Barry took a class that exposed her to the realities of unequal funding in education. “It got me really worked up and I wanted to do something about it,” shared Sarah. As she considered her next step after graduation, Sarah began researching […]

Throughout the 2018-19 academic year, College Possible Philadelphia is profiling four students thanks to a grant awarded by NRG Gives, a charitable-giving program sponsored by the NRG Retail Charitable Foundation. The grant awarded by NRG Gives will support more students in the greater Philadelphia area get to and persist through to college graduation. Throughout his junior […]

Growing up in the greater Philadelphia area, Sarah Libros knew that there was a significant problem in her community surrounding education equity, but it was not an area that she expected to focus on professionally. After earning a bachelor’s degree in social and cultural studies from Goldsmiths, University of London, Sarah remained in London for […]

Driven, energized, and looking to make an impact? College Possible Philadelphia is currently seeking AmeriCorps members for 10-month positions starting August 2018. College Possible uses a near-peer coaching model that pairs recent college graduates, who serve as AmeriCorps or VISTA members, with high school or college students. As recent college graduates, coaches have firsthand knowledge […]

As Jared Deveau prepared for college graduation, he contemplated how he wanted to begin his career. “After college, I wanted to go into the education field, but I also wanted to give back,” says Jared, a high school junior coach at Jules E. Mastbuam and Murrell Dobbins Career and Technical Education High School in Philadelphia, […]

College Possible Philadelphia is pleased to welcome Rosie Doolan and Mohamed Hassan to our leadership team as the Operations Specialist and High School Program Coordinator, respectively. In addition, we are pleased to announce that Senior College Program Coordinator Jose Rodriguez will be leading the college program.  Jose Rodriguez, College Senior Program Coordinator As Jose Rodriguez […]

College Possible Philadelphia is pleased to welcome three new members to our site board. Sylvia Rivera – Joined March 2018 With a background in education, Sylvia Rivera serves as a programs administrator for the project management administrator for the Project Management Institute Educational Foundation. Sylvia holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from […]

College Possible Philadelphia is pleased to welcome three new members to our growing site board.   Cassandra Bell – Joined September 2018 Cassandra Bell is M&T Bank’s Charitable and Community Relations Manager for the Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey market, a position she has held for the last six years. In this role, she […]

With the school year over, our coaches have finished their year and they’re either moving on to their next endeavor or taking a little vacation before coming back to serve with College Possible. That being said, College Possible never stops serving our students. With the transition to a new school year on its way, some […]

On Monday, January 29, College Possible Philadelphia hosted It’s a Matter of Degrees, a cocktail reception at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia for its donors, board members, school and university partners and friends. The event highlighted College Possible Philadelphia’s work in helping to close the degree divide and assist in workforce development. It […]

Junior year with College Possible focuses heavily on SAT prep, and as the ‘real deal’ SAT is right around the corner for our students, we have not only seen significant improvements in practice test scores, but also in our students’ class grades. Two juniors at Mastbaum High School recently voiced how College Possible has helped […]

On June 16, College Possible Philadelphia celebrated Launch! 2018 at Temple University’s Student Center. Sponsored by M&T Bank, Launch! 2018 is College Possible’s end-of-the-year student celebration for high school juniors and seniors, recognizing their hard work and commitment to earning a college degree. Philadelphia Board Chair Joe Divis delivered opening remarks, followed by College Possible […]

Located in the heart of Delaware County, Neumann University is College Possible Philadelphia’s newest Bridge partner. Founded in 1965, the university has more than 2,700 undergraduate and graduate students. In July 2017, Neumann welcomed its sixth president, Dr. Chris Everett Domes, who is focused on supporting low-income, first-generation students on campus to make sure they […]

Do you remember the first time you set foot on a college campus? Were you left breathless by the large buildings, by the number of students hurrying across the commons, by the sheer possibility those buildings and those students held? Many College Possible high school students have never had that experience. As they begin to […]

After two years of collaborating with College Possible Philadelphia at the Explore partner level, Millersville University decided to expand its relationship and become a Bridge partner in the summer of 2018. Katy Charles, director of undergraduate admissions, commented on the new level of partnership: “Millersville aims to admit and enroll students who will bring a […]

A Q&A with West Chester University College Possible Philadelphia has been privileged to deepen a partnership with West Chester University since 2015. In that time, dozens of College Possible students have been able to visit West Chester University’s campus and many have selected West Chester University (WCU) as the place to pursue their four-year degree. […]

When Sarah Barry decided to move from her home state of North Carolina to Philadelphia to serve with College Possible, she was taking a risk. “My background is not in education,” says Sarah. “I was a psychology major in college. During my senior year at the University of North Carolina, a professor showed my class […]

If it were up to Sylvia Rivera, College Possible Philadelphia board member, all students would learn project management. “Life is full of projects,” she says. “Some are big and some are small. Coordinating a birthday party, selecting a college to attend, and even writing a senior paper is a project. How we manage each project depends […]

This August, College Possible Philadelphia welcomed Armelle Dushime to the leadership team as our College Program Coordinator. Prior to joining to College Possible, Armelle attended Abilene Christian University where she studied international studies, social science and biology and discovered her passion for education and social justice. After completing her undergraduate degree, Armelle moved to Rwanda […]

Ana Perez-Villagomez, a freshman math major at Barnard College in New York, N.Y., is paving the way for herself and other first-generation students from low-income backgrounds. From an early age, Ana was fascinated by the idea of attending college. When she entered South Magnet High School in Omaha, Neb., she didn’t fully understand what college […]

Welcome to a new College Possible Philadelphia academic year. It is a time of all things new – program participants, relationships and team members supporting the college access and success goals of College Possible Philadelphia. During the 19-20 academic year, we are on track to: Serve over 2,000 students with resources and support that helps […]

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” In honor of Dr. King, College Possible staff, AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA members had a day “on” where we served our communities throughout the country. From painting murals in Philadelphia to finishing houses in Milwaukee, College […]

Throughout the 2018-19 academic year, College Possible Philadelphia is profiling four students thanks to a grant awarded by NRG Gives, a charitable-giving program sponsored by the NRG Retail Charitable Foundation. The grant awarded by NRG Gives will support more students in the greater Philadelphia area get to and persist through to college graduation. Preparing for her […]

College Possible Philadelphia has partnered with the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) to help support students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during the 2017-18 school year. Through this district-wide FAFSA Completion Challenge, College Possible Philadelphia’s college coaches provide coaching and support to seniors at A. Philip Randolph Career and Technical High […]

College Possible Philadelphia is recruiting its next cohort of students in all six of its partner high schools. To be eligible to join the program, students must be sophomores who meet certain income requirements, have a GPA of 2.0 higher and have aspirations of attending a 4-year college or university. “We have been using different […]

College Possible Philadelphia was featured in a Spotlight on Poverty & Opportunity article detailing the challenges and lack of counseling resources students face in Philadelphia public schools. Our coaches are helping students navigate the college process in a district where counselors are hired at a radio of one to every 950 students (the average is […]

Join our email list to stay updated on College Possible and our incredible students. Stephanie just graduated from Upper Darby High School and plans to study nursing in college. She received scholarship offers from every school she was accepted to and will be attending Drexel University in the fall. Where her academics are exceptional—to say […]

One of the biggest issues we face with our students is the transition from the summer to when school starts back up in the fall. They’ve had a couple of months of vacation and it is undoubtedly an adjustment getting academically focused again. We see it with our high school students, but as seniors are […]

Across the United States, only nine percent of students from low-income backgrounds earn a college degree by the age of 24. This is a statistic College Possible Philadelphia donors, Ken and Linda Romanowski, find problematic and hope to improve. Both Ken and Linda have experienced first-hand the power of earning a college degree, and their […]

You can help the next generation of Philly leaders! Vote for College Possible in the NRG Gives campaign and help us break down barriers to college access for Philadelphia students. The charity with the most votes at the end of the voting period will take first place and receive $100,000; second place will receive $20,000; […]

College Possible Philadelphia was featured in a Youth Today article about assisting students in navigating the college process. The article features College Possible student Camellia Brown, currently a freshman public relations major at Temple University, and her struggle to apply for college as a first-generation student from a low-income background. Over 80 percent of students from […]