Our Alumni
Our mission at Launch is to support student success in college and career. We stay in touch with our alumni and offer programming to support them on the path to and through college. Our alumni consistently report that they feel prepared for high school and they are very engaged in their high school communities.
I am a Junior at Benjamin Banneker High School. I'm on the track team and I actually did my first race yesterday. My favorite subject is algebra and I also love art because I get to be creative. Launch prepared me to be consistent with homework and do well on tests in high school. When I got to high school I felt comfortable making friends and getting to know my teachers. I know these relationships will help me succeed.
I am in 10th grade at High School for Health Professions and Human Services. One thing I love about my school is how many activists we have, we've had countless events, and there's so many clubs to join. One thing I liked about Launch is how caring the teachers were, I can say that I always had a teacher that I could trust and talk to.
I am in the 10th grade at Brooklyn Collaborative Studies (BCS). One thing that I love about BCS is, that we choose our options to express how we feel. I miss that Launch allowed me to have fun while getting the understanding of what my talent or ability is to flourish in life.
I am a sophomore at Benjamin Banneker Academy. Launch really prepared me for the future and high school by teaching me how to be accountable for my work, grades and learn how to advocate for myself. I have always wanted to attend a large school with a high graduation rate and really appreciated how Launch helped me throughout the HS selection process to identify what high schools I wanted to attend for the specific programs that peaked my interest. One thing I like about Banneker is how spacious the school is.
I am a sophomore at Cristo Rey Brooklyn. As part of the work study program, I love the experience of being able to do an internship at American Express, which is providing me with an expansion of life skills for the real world. I am also taking advantage of the extra help from teachers. I love Launch because I was able to present my Student Led Conference and this has helped me be able to reflect on my learning and advocate for myself at CRB.
I am a Freshman at the New York Institute of Technology and graduated from Harvest Collegiate High School in Manhattan. In high school, I loved my biology class and playing in the band. When I think back to Launch two things stand out. First, the 6th grade camping trip. We had so much fun and I challenged myself to step out of my comfort zone. Second, as a student ambassador I developed public speaking skills because I was given so many chances to present, perform and host guests. I am still getting used to college, but I am excited to tell you more about my experience soon.
I am a Junior at P-Tech. I am in the robotics club and we are building a robot for a competition. I love ELA because my 8th grade teachers at Launch broke down the topics so well that it all makes sense in high school. I am also grateful to Launch for crew because it helped me prepare life after Launch. Crew was a space where I could focus on growing up as a person.
I am a senior at Brooklyn Collaborative. I am a member of the student council where we focus on being change makers. I am also a part of YO SOS Brooklyn where we learn to advocate for issues we care about. At Launch I learned to stand up for issues I care about, that I can make an impact on my community and on the world. I am excited that my little sister joined the Launch 6th grade class this year!
I am a Junior at STAR Academy at Erasmus. Launch prepared me in multiple ways. Most of all they taught me that I can achieve the high goals that I set for myself. I use the Habits of Heart and Mind every day. If I say I want to get above a 90 in one of my classes, I know I am able to. I just use my perseverance to keep my eye on the goal and my craftsmanship to make sure my work is diligently completed.
I am a senior at Stoneleigh Burnham boarding school in Western Massachusetts and I was just accepted to my first choice college with a scholarship. Launch is the reason I am successful today. I was born on the Ivory Coast of Africa and came to New York to escape the civil war. I didn’t speak English. I was bullied at my previous school and when I came to Launch I felt like I was at home. Teachers cared about me. I made friends. I was encouraged to take risks and try hard. I started doing very well in school. Launch continues to stay in touch and support me, it's like my second family.
I am a Business Major and Junior at Howard University in Washington DC. I am minoring in entrepreneurship and started own business called Mia's Good Smells. I am also doing an internship this summer in Los Angeles at Amazon Studios through Howard Entertainment. I graduated from Berkeley Carroll High School where I was passionate about dance, advocacy and speaking up for the Black Lives Matter movement.
At Launch and throughout high school I also participated in the Breakthrough NY program.
I play basketball at Cristo Rey Brooklyn. Launch taught me how to be a student athlete thanks to Ms. Otiti and Ms. Logan! At first, I thought it was all about basketball, but now I know it's all about my grades. Books come before ball. My favorite class in high school is biology. I try to make myself stand out by focusing on my studies. I go for office hours and try to keep my grades as high as possible. At the end of the day, I am a student athlete and that's how I want to be known. Launch is special community that never gives up on you. I love giving back by attending high school seminars and volunteering.
I am a Freshman at Union College in Upstate NY. I attended the NYC iSchool in Manhattan for high school. I started the Black Students Union at my school and I am the president. I love math and history especially when it’s engaging. Launch created a safe space for me to find out about who I am as a person. I had teachers and staff members who cared about me so much and their advice and support has guided me throughout high school.
I am a Senior at Medgar Evers High School. In high school I play football. I also love math and global history. I am a musician and play the piano at school, I have been playing for a long time. My teachers at Launch taught me to always ask for help. It's great advice. In high school I take advantage of the extra help my teachers give me and they always offer great feedback.
I am a 10th grade student at York Early College Academy, where I am currently taking college courses. I graduated from Launch in 2020. One thing that I loved about Launch was how all teachers and staff members wanted each and every student to succeed, not only in their studies but in our futures as well. The teachers are always supporting us with opportunities to grow and improve. Teachers would make sure that their students would realize their potential and room for growth as I'm sure they are doing for my sister (Shania) who is currently enrolled at Launch. I was able to take part in many activities that allowed me to be more engaged with fellow peers in an environment that I was just getting to know. This helped me improve my social skills and aided my education in ways I wouldn't have imagined school could. I was fortunate enough to experience and take advantage of the tools and opportunity presented to me and attempted to take accountability for my learning and explore beyond myself and middle school. And so thanks to the experiences beforehand and the monumental amount of support given to me by my teachers, I was inspired and challenged myself to take a huge leap of faith. Which was something I hadn’t done much of prior to my days at Launch.
I am a Senior at Cristo Rey Brooklyn high school and I am a finalist for the Posse Scholarship at DePauw University. I am also part of the Girls Hope NY weekday boarding program. At school I am a member of the comedy club, the step team and several community service groups. My junior year, I completed a semester abroad at the Island School in the Bahamas. In the same 3 months I learned to swim and got certified to scuba dive! I also participated in a research study about aquaponics with local scientists. Launch paved the way for me in so many different ways. First, I found my voice at Launch and made a commitment that I would defy all of the statistics stacked against me. As a black foster child from central Brooklyn I am proud to be on a path the college. Launch laid that foundation and they have supported me every step of the way. Once you are part of the Launch family, you are always part of the family.
I graduated from Launch in 2020. I am currently a 10 grader at York Early College Academy, where I am taking pathway college courses. The thing I loved the most about attending Launch was the care and support from the teachers. Academically, the teachers provided me with support to help me reach and surpass my goals as they are doing from my sister (Shania) who's currently enrolled at Launch. They also helped me to start advocating for myself, this is an essential skill you need in high school. With their care for my education they constantly inspired me to believe in myself because I was struggling with self confidence. The teachers are always there for you and you get to connect with a crew advisor, which you will have that special bond with. I would like to take this opportunity to say a very special thanks to all the staff at Launch, you have helped to mold me into the young man I am today.