"Where there is no Vision, the people Perish"

"Persistence gives confidence and continued right mental attitude followed by consistent action will bring success. When you have that knowing inside of you, fear has vanished and the obstruction to a life of all good removed." - Anonymous

Growing up in these challenging times, it is critical that our children have all the advantages and opportunities possible. Especially for our minority children in urban areas, they are not afforded the luxury of being able to waste time or lose focus. Achievement is not an option, it is a necessity in this highly competitive world. An article entitled, "Minority enrollment in college still lagging," published in USA Today stated:

"Despite significant gains in minority undergraduate and graduate enrollments at the nation's colleges and universities, the rate at which black and Hispanic students attend college continues to trail that of white students, a report says. Minority enrollments rose by 50.7% to 4.7 million between 1993 and 2003, while the number of white students increased 3.4%, to 10.5 million, the report says.White high school graduates are more likely than black or Hispanic peers to enroll in college. The report says 47.3% of white high school graduates ages 18 to 24 attend college, vs. 41.1% of black and 35.2% of Hispanic high school graduates.
Among students who entered college in 1995-96, 36.4% of blacks and 42% of Hispanics earned a bachelor's degree within six years, vs. 58% of whites and 62.3% of Asian-Americans.


The overall minority increases are encouraging, "but we are also concerned by what still seems to be slow growth," says Beverly Daniel Tatum, president of Spelman College, a historically black college for women in Atlanta, and chair of a commission that produces the annual report. "While we see forward movement, it is incremental and not transformational." That, she says, would require better preparation and encouragement in elementary and high schools. "Students of color often have limited access to the courses they need ... (and) college guidance," Tatum says..."

The goal of the Young Men's Leadership Institute is to increase the number of low-income students prepared to enter and succeed in college. This blog serves to document the journey of a group of young women in the Queens Gateway Health and Science, as they move through self reflective and discovery activities to identify their goals and being to establish a clear path to achivement in their educational and professional careers, particularly as it relates to the STEM professions.

 
These young women will share their hopes, dreams, hesitations and fears as they take the first steps to defining the vision for themselves. Receive their thoughts with understanding and encouragement and feel free to comment and contribute guidance along the way.