LEAP Wraps Up First Semester Providing College Readiness For Medgar Evers College Freshmen and Sophomores
For many people, attending college is a major inflection point in their lives. Under the best of circumstances, undergraduates go from the secure comfort of structured classes and instruction that defines grade 12 and below to a higher education environment that offers the kind of freedom of schedule that can be a double-edged sword. And that’s before students have to navigate the pathways of picking classes (much less attending and keeping up with the curriculum), securing financial aid and striking a balance between home life, school, work and socializing. All this while trying to accrue enough credits to graduate with a degree. And that’s just for anyone coming from a secure home life that might not have to factor in elements of financial hardship, cultural differences and domestic responsibilities into the equation.
For first- and second-year Medgar Evers College students, this is where LEAP (Learning & Educational Assistance Program) comes in. What LEAP does is support freshmen and sophomore as they navigate college academically, personally and professionally. Funded by a $200,000 grant that Transition Academy director Dr. Waleek Boone applied for and received from Trinity Church Philanthropies, this semester-long initiative is for a max cohort of 25 students.
Participants receive wraparound support including peer mentoring, meals during sessions, academic supplies, technology and transportation assistance (for eligible students) along with emergency support when challenges arise.
For LEAP Coordinator Khaalida Jones, this program is crucial for a student body whose ranks include first-generation college students who may also be juggling work and the kind of familial responsibilities familiar to immigrants of the Caribbean diaspora. It’s a connection the Medgar Evers College and SEEK alum can relate to given how she came over from Trinidad when she was around 12.
“LEAP is a student success initiative,” Jones explained. “It is designed to help participants develop strong academic habits, gain access to campus resources and really just give them the resources necessary in order for them to be successful in college. The program combines weekly workshops and peer mentorship as well as some wraparound services that the Transition Academy provides. They address a lot of academic and non-academic barriers and hardships that the kids may have.”
She added, “Ultimately, the goal of LEAP is to not just provide information. There are many workshops that students can attend here at the college. But really, it’s about providing the tools necessary to navigate the systems that they operate within in order to make sure they stay engaged with this process.”
Look no further than Xael Bastien, a Medgar Evers College freshman majoring in accounting, to learn about the benefits LEAP participants are reaping as part of this first cohort. Having been part of the SEEK program, Bastien was hesitant about giving up her free time for this particular opportunity, but with in hindsight she has no regrets.
“I feel LEAP provides a lot of support and shows how much we can do and the resources that are in Medgar Evers College for students,” she said. “We’re all emerging into that young adulthood education and trying to make use of all the resources we have and Medgar Evers College does have a lot of resources for us.”
Bastien added, “Among the thing I learned was definitely getting a clearer explanation on Title IX. I also learned about the different offices you can go to as well as career development, especially since there was a career fair that we were encouraged to go to and get into no matter what college level we were at. The weekly sessions were great as were our peer mentors, who also helped build up community.”
For Xavier Williams, who is not only a LEAP peer mentor but a current Medgar Evers College junior majoring in computer science, he’s being given the chance to give back and teach from the mistakes he made after returning to college after an extended hiatus following his first go-round with higher education. Having gone to college “…because I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life,” Williams left school after having his social life crater his GPA. Older and wiser, the Park Slope native is on a technology path and is keen on imparting his hard-learned lessons to the LEAP participants he’s mentoring whether it’s about networking with advisors, time management or staying in constant contact with their professors.
“As a peer mentor, my role is to be there and hold hands with the mentees,” Williams said. “The reality is that going into college is a huge step compared to going into high school. I tell people high school is different because teachers will chase you and keep reminding you that you have certain things you have to do in order to get to graduation. Once you get to college and pay that tuition, it is all on you. Even with applying, it is on you to apply to schools, apply for programs, go to financial aid and speak with advisors. If you don’t know how to maneuver. It will be overwhelming. My job is to guide them along the way and to teach them from hiccups and stumbles I learned myself.”
With the inaugural LEAP class set for completion on Friday, April 24, Dr. Boone is pleased with the outcome of the first semester and is very much looking forward to further success with the Fall class of 2026.
“The L.E.A.P. College Readiness Series has been a success; the cohort was engaged in each session and learned many tools to effectively navigate college and future academic challenges,” he said.