-The Verdict- The Newsletter of Legal Outreach

Spring 2017

BEATING THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ODDS Note from Executive Director, James O’Neal

Though many colleges in America reported a record number of applicants in 2017, the members of Legal Outreach's senior class , nevertheless, have beaten the odds by gaining admission to a host of the nation's most competitive colleges. The list includes Yale, MIT, Columbia, Cornell, Swarthmore, Pomona, Duke, Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, Rensselaer Polytechnic, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Brandeis, Hamilton, U. Rochester, Hampshire, Skidmore, Binghamton, and many more. In fact, 75% of the 48 members of our graduating class were admitted to schools ranked as the nation's most, highly, or very competitive colleges by Barron's College Profiles. Though the results may be surprising to some given the neighborhoods from which our students hail, they are not surprising to us. Our students have devoted an extraordinary number of hours preparing themselves for higher education over the past four years. Their work has borne fruit. To see the full college matriculation list for the class of 2017, click here College Matriculation List - LO Class of 2017.

The work ethic and skills of our graduates have not only paved the way for many to top colleges but also to top graduate schools. We highlight three of our alumni who are presently enrolled in graduate schools at —the law school, the school of public health, and Teachers College. Click here to learn more about The Columbia Express.

Our success would not be possible without the consistent support of our Board, Advisory Board, funders, partners, and supporters. To continue this good work, we need your support as well. Every donation, large or small, helps us serve the 220 high school students presently enrolled. Your giving today will also provide scholarship support for our seniors as they take the next step in their journey to college .

Make a difference today!

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Celebrating the Accomplishments of the LO Class of 2017

Adelphi University Fordham University Lehman College B. Sampson F. Ismera R. Amrin P. Asamoah Smith College Allegheny College George Mason University A. Dujon K. Lomax C. Douglas A. Ramos S. Lewis D. Polanco Georgetown University Massachusetts Institute of Tech. St. John’s University Baruch College M. Zakirova S. Jean-Charles Z. Santana B. Li Hamilton College Mount Holyoke College Stony Brook University, SUNY S. Wu C. Calixto E. Tavarez R. Shimonov Binghamton University, SUNY Hampshire College Morehouse College Swarthmore College A. Kulesza J. Craig S. Smalls M. Peterson R. Marzia J. Eweka New England College University at Albany, SUNY Brandeis University J. Moore D. Vasquez K. Gordon C. Ojilere D. Young Northeastern University R. Leandre Carnegie Mellon University Iona College N. Liang K. Lyte N. Nahar S. Ogunlana Pomona College University of Rochester Case Western University Ithaca College M. Shelton C. Roye V. Pilatova C. Jeronimo Renssealear Polytechnic Institute Yale Columbia University K. McClean A. Ramos K. Brobbey X. Peralta John Jay College of Criminal Rochester Institute of Technology Cornell University Justice N. Tutu S. Gibson C. Guaman H. Reyes R. Lowe B. Clarke

Name: Maleyah Peterson High School: Frank Sinatra School of Senior Spotlight Arts High School College: Swarthmore College

“I’m thankful for a number of experiences I had at Legal Outreach, but two stand out in particular. The first was the internship program after my freshman year. I knew that I wanted to be an attorney, but I was unclear about what it would take to achieve the goal. The internships changed this. The attorneys I met were so willing to help and share how they had gotten to where they are now. It made me realize that there is a point to all the extra work that Legal Outreach was requiring us to do; you’re doing all this work so that one day you can be in their shoes. That summer experience alone was a huge factor motivating me to work hard to gain admission to a top college.

The second program that stands out in my mind was the Constitutional Law Debate Program. My first year of debate, I didn’t win any of the competitions. During my second year, I received more encouragement and began focusing on the feedback I received from my attorney mentor, law student coach and the Legal Outreach staff. I started to believe I could do better and began to prepare at another level. I challenged myself to win. Once I won the first debate, I just kept pushing myself to win another. And though I didn’t win them all, I certainly came to understand that “all spectacular achievement is preceded by unspectacular preparation.” This part of the Legal Outreach pledge became my motto. With that quote at the forefront of my mind, I continued to improve, and I was able to win the 2017 Debater of the Year Competition.

Over my four years in Legal Outreach, the community of friends I developed, especially in my class, kept me motivated. Just knowing that there were peers and adults who thought that I could achieve at a high level made me believe in myself, made me demand more of myself, and pushed me to constantly improve. Next year, I will be attending Swarthmore College where I hope to continue refining my debating skills as I move a step closer to my ultimate goal – becoming an attorney.” To continue to make a difference in the lives of students like Maleyah, donate today!

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Please give by clicking on the button above or by sending a check to: Want to see more Senior Spotlights? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook @legaloutreach Legal Outreach, Inc., 36-14 35th Street, Long Island City, NY 11106

If you would like more information, don't hesitate to contact: Massiel Ramos at [email protected]. The Columbia Express The skills our students develop and enhance during their high school years not only propel them through col- lege but, for many, to graduate schools as well. Here are three Legal Outreach alumni currently enrolled in graduate schools at Columbia University.

My participation in Legal Outreach’s Law and Justice Institute at Columbia Law School was my first introduc- tion to law and was the first time I, as a rising 9th grad- er, was able to envision myself as an attorney. It was through my participation in the mock trial competition that I realized I not only liked what I was doing, but I was good at it. At the end of the summer program, I promised myself I would return to CLS one day. From that day forward, I dedicated myself to the task. I joined Legal Outreach's College Bound Program where I developed and polished my organizational, writing, and public speaking skills. In addition to academic sup- port, the program provided me with Katherine Nunez the encouragement and support to apply to selective colleges, even though my high school advisor tried to dis- courage me from doing so. I chose to attend Williams College and during my senior year, as I completed the law school application process, I made Columbia my number one choice. When I received my letter of ac- ceptance last year, I was beyond ecstatic. As I finish my first year, I am grateful to Legal Outreach for helping me envision a different life for myself and providing me with the solid foundation needed to turn my dreams into reality. ~ Katherine Nunez, LO ’12, Williams College ’16, Columbia Law School ’19.

Katherine is completing her first year at Columbia Law School. Shortly after finishing finals, she will begin an internship at American International Group (AIG).

Legal Outreach, Inc. 36-14 35th St Long Island City NY 11106 718-752-0020 The Columbia Express

“Growing up in Harlem, the world didn’t always seem accessible. That all changed once I joined Legal Outreach. The program offered me exposure to people and places that were beyond my normal purview. Equally as important, the program helped me develop the public speaking, critical thinking, and writ- ing skills as well as the self-efficacy that would take me through college and graduate school. Though I figured out pretty quickly while I was in college that law was not my calling, I felt confident in my ability to succeed in other disci- plines. And once I decided to study public health, the skills I developed while at Legal Outreach allowed me to achieve success as an undergraduate majoring in Bioethics. From there, I chose to pursue a Masters in Health Administra- tion at Columbia. No matter what I achieve, I’ll always be grateful to Legal Outreach for providing me with a solid foundation.” ~Kwasi Nyantakyi, LO Kwasi Nyantakyi ’11, University of Rochester ’15, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health MHA ’17.

Kwasi will be graduating from Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health on the 16th of May with a Master of Health Administration. Shortly after, he will begin a 1 year administrative fellowship with Thom- as Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.

“After working a few years upon graduating from Skidmore College, I joined the staff of Legal Outreach as a College Ac- cess Coordinator. One of the best parts of my role is being able to help students understand the importance of working to their full potential in high school. As a Legal Outreach alumnae, the program certainly helped me build a strong academic founda- tion, enabling me to perform well at the undergraduate level. In particular, the Saturday Writing Classes strengthened my writ- ing skills and the series of Constitutional Law Debates pushed me to develop my analytical skills. The program also helped me build the necessary social capital to advance myself aca- demically and professionally. The work of the organization is one of the reasons I was motivated to apply to graduate school at Teachers College, Columbia University. My desire is to fur- ther understand the educational policies that impact NYC stu- Evelyn Canela dents on a daily basis and to be a force for improving the path- way for others.” ~ Evelyn Canela, LO’09, Skidmore College ’13, Columbia University Teacher’s College MA ‘18. Evelyn is completing her first year at Columbia’s Teacher College in the Education Policy and Social Analy- sis Department. She will be participating in an education practicum at Columbia Law School’s Center for Public Research and Leadership this fall serving as a policy consultant with the hopes of serving in a similar capacity following her graduation next year.

Legal Outreach, Inc. 36-14 35th St Long Island City NY 11106 718-752-0020