Celebrating Good News!

At SCI we prioritize connections. The concept of “social capital” is that our social networks- the connections we make- have value.
Supporting SCI means supporting connections and building social capital for young leaders in the community, helping them achieve their goals

SCI programs accomplish this goal in many ways. The SCI AmeriCorps program connects young people with resources, experiences, and mentor relationships. The SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest pairs young leaders with a volunteer coach to develop a pitch for a community project!

The Leaders for an Equitable Tomorrow (LET) program provides high school students with an opportunity to intern with SCI. They make connections in the community through their role, and also connect with SCI staff. One of our first LET interns, Josh, made a connection that helped him pursue his dream of going to Harvard!

Josh Ortiz got involved with LET after reconnecting with his Little League coach – which happened to be me! Josh had to move out of Woburn last year so while he’s not an official part of our LET program now, we’ve stayed connected.

Although I’ve known Josh since Little League, it was only through more recent conversations that I started getting a full picture of the challenges he’s overcome. He’s a great young leader, passionate about mental health and social justice, as well as a strong, hard-working student.

So when I heard Josh was very interested in attending Harvard, I wanted to support his pursuit of admission to my alma mater. My Harvard classmates provided support as Josh explored and applied. Adams House Dean Mercy Becerra hosted a great visit (including this stop below in FDR’s room). David Battat lent some great insight into the interview process.

I was pleased to be able to leverage a bit of my social capital to help this potential first-generation college student pursue his goals. And I am even more pleased to report that late last week my phone lit up with exciting news – Josh got in! We can’t wait to see what’s in store for this emerging leader!

Josh has worked hard to achieve his goal of getting into Harvard. I’m glad SCI and other programs were able to provide him with experiences and social capital to support his success.

When you donate to SCI, you help hundreds of youth every year build the skills and social capital they need to achieve their goals, too.