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Mason, Prince William County Public Schools expand EIP collaboration

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A shared approach to improving individual student outcomes and leaving lasting positive impacts on families, communities and society at large is what initially brought 亚洲AV and Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) together for the .

director davis with PWCS reps
Denise Huebner, associate superintendent for Prince William County Schools; Khaseem Davis, executive director of Mason's Early Identification Program; Anaid Shaver, supervisor of college and career services for Prince William County Schools; and Charlena McCuin, the coordinator of community and business engagement/SPARK for PWCS. Photo by Fathima Samsudeen

Additional funding secured by SPARK, the education foundation for PWCS, will expand that life-changing collaboration and fully support an additional 20 EIP students from Prince William County starting this spring, said EIP Executive Director Khaseem Davis.

鈥淎s a public school system, they really value EIP,鈥 he said.

Prince William County Public School representatives were on hand along with Mason officials at Merten Hall on the Fairfax Campus on Jan. 27 to welcome the newest members of the EIP community.

EIP, which has produced more than 2,000 graduates since its inception in 1987, provides access to educational resources for middle and high school students seeking to become the first in their families to attend college.

Services include free SAT prep, afterschool tutoring, mentoring, help with college essays, exposure to various careers, and a three-week summer academy.

eip students panel
Current Mason students and EIP alums Kalkidan Negussie and Ian Solano speak to the new members of the EIP community of their experiences in the program. Photo by Fathima Samsudeen

A $55,000 grant from the Tides Foundation to SPARK funded additional PWCS student participants. The Tides Foundation is a San Francisco-based nonprofit and philanthropic organization.

As a result, there are now 153 EIP students in the PWCS system, and just under 800 in the overall program, with plans to expand further.

Carol Flenard, the deputy superintendent for PWCS, lauded EIP for being a 鈥渂eacon of hope and opportunity鈥 that empowers first-generation students to dream of higher education and to achieve it with distinction.

鈥淭his program is more than an academic pathway,鈥 Flenard said. 鈥淚t is a commitment to closing the opportunity gaps that often challenge motivated, talented first-generation students.鈥

鈥淭hey really gave me so much support, and they didn鈥檛 give up on me,鈥 said Ian Solano, an EIP alum who is now a freshman major in the at Mason. 鈥淚 learned that I have more potential than I ever realized. I don鈥檛 know where I鈥檇 be without EIP.鈥

EIP receives support from Mason鈥檚 corporate alliances and individual donors, as well as its collaboration with seven local public school systems in Prince William County, Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Manassas City, Manassas Park City, Arlington, and the City of Alexandria.

The program鈥檚 year-round academic enrichment, personal and social development, civic engagement, and leadership training opportunities prepare students for higher education and more productive lives afterward.

鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 get to work in a job where they get to see the direct impact they can make,鈥 Davis said. 鈥淏eing part of EIP, you see that impact, and the impact is profound.鈥

Of the 127 EIP students who graduated from high school last spring, 125 went on to college. Of those, 93 were admitted to Mason, with 37 of those enrolling. Most of those who did enroll received partial or full academic scholarships.

There are currently more than 200 EIP alums attending Mason.