Seven years in the making: Steppingstone Scholars are off to college

This fall, 70 Steppingstone Scholars from Boston are headed to four-year colleges throughout the U.S. These students are graduates of The Steppingstone Academy, a free academic program that prepares urban schoolchildren, who would not otherwise have the opportunity, to gain admission to and succeed at top independent and public exam schools throughout Boston.

These college-bound Scholars first applied to Steppingstone in fifth grade, completed the Academy’s 14-month academic preparation and placement component in 2001, and have participated in the Academy’s support services since that time.

“Steppingstone Scholars have known since fifth grade that hard work in school can lead to incredible opportunity,” said Steppingstone president and co-founder Michael P. Danziger. “Now they see the results of their hard work as they get ready for college. We are extremely proud of all they have accomplished.”

Shawn Le, a senior at Boston Latin School, was recently reminded of how long he has held the goal of attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

At a reunion dinner with other Steppingstone seniors, he opened the time capsule letter he wrote to himself upon graduating from Steppingstone’s 14-month academic preparation component. In the letter, written at age 12, he had told himself that he would “attend MIT” and “get a good job and donate $1,000 to Steppingstone.” Le, who was accepted to several schools including Harvard and MIT, is headed to MIT this fall, six years after his prediction.

Other Scholars are headed to schools far and wide, including Boston College, Dartmouth College, Howard University, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Tuskegee University. Most will be the first generation in their families to graduate from college. All will arrive on campus with the tools to make the most of their college careers.

Max Clermont, a senior at Boston Latin Academy, knows exactly what he wants to do at Brown University.

Inspired by Dr. Paul Farmer’s Partners in Health project, Clermont plans to focus on community health in Brown’s Bachelor’s/Master’s of Public Health program, continue on to medical school, and eventually open a community clinic in his family’s homeland, Haiti.

“I hope that in the coming years I am able to put my plan into action and recruit others in the effort to give back to a country that needs help and a healthcare system that needs strengthening,” said Clermont.

Clermont will be aided in his studies by the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship, which provides opportunities for outstanding minority students with financial need to reach their highest potential.

Over the past 16 years, more than 1,000 Steppingstone Scholars have completed the rigorous program, which consists of challenging academic work, two summer sessions, extra homework and years of support services while Scholars attend top college preparatory schools. Steppingstone offers students guidance in choosing and applying for admission to public exam and independent schools.

Once the Scholars gain admission, Steppingstone’s support services staff works proactively to ensure a successful transition, both academic and social, to the placement schools. The staff continues to support Scholars to ensure college attendance. Each winter, The Steppingstone Academy accepts applications from Boston students who are in the fourth, fifth and seventh grades.