ASAP believes that a college education prepares students to achieve their dreams and become our next generation of leaders. In the midst of these turbulent times, at ASAP we have been helping a diverse group of high school seniors apply to college. Once again, we are working with 325 students this year at Mission High, including over 100college bound seniors to help them craft their applications. Over 90% of our students will be the first in their families to obtain a college degree.
As many of you are aware, we work with primarily low-income students of color to provide support on their paths to and through college. You can see many of the different elements of our program on the following page as described through the journey of Nour. She, along with her family, came to San Francisco from Syria in 2012, right before she entered high school. Nour and her twin brother, Salem, were both active members of ASAP and each received extensive, individualized support on their college applications. Following their graduation in 2016, Salem enrolled at UC Davis as a member of the cross country team, and Nour began at Kenyon College in Ohio.
At ASAP, we believe that if we want a better world, we need to invest in our young people like Nour. Along these lines, we want to thank all who contributed to our recent fundraiser, Champions of Tomorrow, which was held in September. We are grateful to have welcomed so many new supporters to our community through this year’s benefit. We are once again humbled by your generosity and honored to be your partners in the important work of ensuring that our students are given every opportunity to reach their full potential. Please visit our website at www.missionasap.org to see photos from the event, and/or to learn more about our programs.
Working daily with our students, we are constantly reminded of the obstacles they face.Thank you for helping us show the students of ASAP that whatever challenges they encounter, they do so with a vast community of supporters behind them. Together, we are demonstrating that involvement in ASAP can change the academic outcomes and life trajectories of the students who most deserve our support. Operating year-round within a school is precisely how we make our impact – but it requires a deep commitment, and we simply would not be able to make this commitment without your support.
With gratitude,
Liz Butler Steyer
Executive Director
Athletic Scholars Advancement Program (ASAP)