Each acceptance letter represents the culmination of nearly seven years of mentorship, academic enrichment, and dedication to the students’ futures.
This time of year, high school seniors are eagerly waiting to hear from colleges hoping for a letter of acceptance. It is an exciting time for the students and their families. For the 20 seniors in the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) CURE Scholars Program, it is particularly special. Each acceptance letter represents the culmination of nearly seven years of mentorship, academic enrichment, and dedication to their futures.
“It feels really great to be receiving all these acceptances,” says Ayishat Yussuf, a scholar in Cohort 1 of the CURE program. “I honestly don’t know where I plan on attending yet because I have so many options to choose from."
Launched in 2015, UMB CURE was the first National Cancer Institute Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) program in the country to engage scholars beginning in sixth grade. The program has inspired its scholars to pursue lucrative careers in health care and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through mentorship and academic support. The program follows the students through middle and high school with the goal of building a diverse health care, cancer research, and STEM workforce and alleviating medical and educational disparities.
This is a landmark year for the program as its first cohort of scholars, who began as sixth-graders, will be graduating from high school and heading off to college.
“Seeing the admission notices come in for the scholars makes me feel overjoyed,” says Ivan Lamas-Sanchez, MA, program manager for school success for UMB CURE. “I’m excited for the next chapter of their journey, and I’m excited for the scholars and their families to see their hard work, dedication, and commitment come to fruition.”