As the first class of YPIE Scholars prepares to graduate high school and go off to college, we look back at both our triumphs and challenges.  At YPIE, we pride ourselves on being a reflective organization, continuously reviewing and revising the structure of our programs to best meet the needs of our students.  One of the biggest lessons we've taken away from our inaugural class of YPIE Scholars is that while providing a mentor is key to a child's growth - our students benefit from additional supports as well.  That's why subsequent groups of YPIE Scholars are receiving after school academic instruction and training in 21st century skills at the YPIE College Zone. We are extremely grateful to the first graduating class of YPIE Scholars, their volunteer Graduation Coaches, and staff program manager, Julie Arias, for paving the way for future students' college success.

We sat down with Laurie Brecher, one of our original Graduation Coaches and our newest YPIE Shining Star to get her perspective on participating in the program.  She has been a dedicated volunteer and mentor to YPIE Scholar, Yoel, at Lincoln High School over the past four years.  "It's just been wonderful to watch my student begin to take charge of [the college] process and see me recede over time and I think that's the goal that we want for all of our students," says Laurie.

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Partnerships increase YPIE's ability to expose our YPIE Scholars to opportunities outside of academics and mentoring. One such partnership allowed us to take 20 Scholars to the Shake  Shack at the Cross County Shopping Center. On February 21st, before the restaurant opened to regular customers, YPIE Scholars worked with Shake  Shack staff to learn about the daily running of the restaurant. They learned how to read orders, how the food is prepared at the various prep stations, quality control and getting the food out to customers. Most importantly, Scholars saw what communication looks like, how businesses treat customers, and the types of decision business owners encounter every day. Students were able to participate in all aspects of these processes which culminated in students cooking and eating a full meal. The Shake  Shack staff were so welcoming, accommodating, and patient with our Scholars; we look forward to collaborating with them in the future.