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Click a graduate below to learn more about their story.
CUNY Brooklyn College, 2022 Graduate (Early) [Click to read more >>]
I graduated from Brooklyn College this past January with a B.S. in Psychology. Right now, I’m working part-time at a real estate company and I spend my other time volunteering for the Good Samaritans of New York suicide hotline. I’m going to apply for graduate school next month, and I’m going to apply for psychology doctoral programs. My ultimate goal is to get my Ph.D in clinical psychology and one day I hope to own my own psychology practice.
The Future Leaders Program has helped me tremendously towards helping me graduate college early. I was able to use the funds to buy MetroCards when we were still in person to get me to and from school, which would have been hard to afford without the help you guys gave me. Living in a homeless shelter with a single mother means that money was always tight, so this was such a huge help.
I was able to purchase a much needed laptop for school with the money. This laptop came in handy once we went online during the pandemic and that’s the only reason I was able to do online schooling. I was also able to take summer and winter classes online that I wouldn’t have been able to if they were in person. This contributed to me graduating early.
Also, I was able to take summer and winter classes two years in a row. Since my financial aid doesn’t pay for summer and winter classes, I was able to use the funds Future Leaders gave me to cover the costs of those classes. Because of that, I was able to graduate a year and a half early from college!
The Future Leaders has given me such a leg up in my academic endeavors that no other organization has given me. I look forward to the day when I’m finally working in the field of psychology and I can donate both my time and energy to Future Leaders mission of improving the lives of students, just like they did for me. I can’t wait to pay it forward.
Columbia University, 2022 Graduate [Click to read more >>]
It is important that the scholarship allows for the recipient to have the power to decide how to use the funds because, in my case, financial aid covers my tuition, but it does not cover cost of attendance costs fully. These funds have been helpful in covering the gaps within costs of attendance. In addition, having some financial freedom is essential to not only just getting by, but also, to do things easier and less stressfully. For instance, not being liquidity constrained allowed for me to be able to use these funds I had set aside when I had to travel to Boston in the Fall for an interview and purchase clothes for interviews instead of asking my mother for money. In addition, it assists my ability and will to not have to ask for financial assistance from my mother ever and be financially independent, and in that way it is helping my family members. Finally, during the school year I live on campus housing but this past year I was able to move into my fraternity’s house on campus, and these funds help me pay some of those fees as well so that I can have a fruitful college experience living with friends. The additional 1,000 a semester this year would be very helpful, as it would cover a great portion of my living costs, especially potential Spring 2021 rent costs on campus that isn’t fully covered by financial aid. Having that cushion would allow for me to use the rest of my money on personal and living expenses, especially while living at home this fall, babysitting my brothers. The funds will also allow for me to help out more at home as well. My plan for the fall is to babysit my brothers from the DHS unit until we move, help with moving, and continue babysitting at home until I am needed to go back to school. It makes it easier for my mother when I help out. I am more than happy and grateful to spend time with family and help my mom during these times, but I think my biggest challenge will be balancing school and babysitting. The future is looking bright though, and I am very thankful to the Thompson Family benevolent fund for all of its help.
I will always be appreciative of the help I received from Future Leaders! I graduated in May with a degree in Operations Research: Engineering Management Systems. I am currently starting off as an Investment Banking Analyst at Deutsche Bank and am planning to build a successful career in the financial services industry.
The cash received from Future Leaders helped me immensely throughout the years in college. It covered the gaps between my financial aid when I needed to pay for important, time-sensitive expenses such as housing, course materials, and tuition expenses. It was crucial to have this extra cushion in college, as it allowed me to be financially independent during this time.
Harvard University, 2023 Graduate [Click to read more >>]
A volunteer cop from Queens has gone from living in a homeless shelter to studying at Harvard University, and she hopes to be an inspiration for others struggling to improve their lives.
Athena Capo-Battaglia, 18, said she knew that getting a higher education would put her on a path that would change her world. “I felt I had to get into college because this is not where I want to stay,” said the auxiliary NYPD officer who applied to colleges while living in a shelter. “I was like, ‘OK, this is one way that I can get out and maybe in the future get a good job.’”
Capo-Battaglia and her mother entered the shelter system two years ago because they were struggling to pay rent after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and her grandmother died.
“It was kind of hard for us to get into the groove of things,” she said. “We just didn’t have enough money to afford an apartment after a few years.”
“It happens to a lot more people than you think,” said Capo-Battaglia. “All kinds of people end up there for all kinds of reasons. It’s not just because people are lazy.”
As of March 2019, there were 63,839 homeless people and 15,492 homeless families living in New York City shelters, the Coalition for the Homeless said.
Capo-Battaglia ended up living in a shelter in Jamaica, Queens, where she joined the NYPD’s Auxiliary Police, which helps the police department keep the public safe. She started volunteering with the 103rd Precinct.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to get to know people and experience the outside world more, really understand what the police do,” she said. “A big part of the Auxiliary Police is building connections between the community and the police so I thought I’d really like to be a part of that.”
While attending high school in Manhattan and applying for colleges, Capo-Battaglia trained twice a week, learning NYPD protocols, procedures, and self-defense.
“I felt like I was doing something good,” she said. “It’s a lot about maintaining public safety.”
And then, last March, she was accepted into Harvard University.
“I called my friend, and I just screamed, ‘Oh my God, I got into Harvard!’” she recalled. “It was really exciting. I wanted to see if I could get in. I’m used to challenging myself. That’s what I had to do my whole life.”
“(My mom) was super excited, as well,” she said. “She was super proud.”
The accomplishments kept on coming for Capo-Battaglia. She graduated from the Auxiliary Police last April and was class valedictorian. The Mayor’s Office also recognized Capo-Battaglia and 100 other college-bound high school students with an award and $1,000 scholarships.
“I felt like I accomplished something,” she said. “It’s always nice to be rewarded.”
Capo-Battaglia, who plans to go into the field of neuroscience, dorms at Harvard’s Cambridge, Mass., campus, has a job at a local café and attends classes full-time.
It’s a lot but there are so many opportunities, especially at Harvard,” she said.
Back in New York during school breaks, Capo-Battaglia lives with her mother at the shelter, and still volunteers with the 103rd Precinct and says she might even consider joining the force.
“It depends on what jobs I decide will suit me the best, I definitely plan to continue in auxiliary. My experiences here have been really great,” she said.
“I never really feel like the struggle is over,” said Capo-Battaglia. “It’s definitely rewarding to give back.”
Kingsborough Community College, 2020 Graduate [Click to read more >>]
I am very thankful that I am here today. If it wasn’t for God, I wouldn’t be standing here. Let me tell you guys some of my experiences. I am my mother’s caretaker since the age of 10. I help her with daily tasks such as toiletry because of her disability. But nothing could have prepared for the year 2017. During my 11th grade and first year in New York, tragedy struck. I had to rush home from school; my mother was experiencing shock and I had to call 911. The ambulance came and swept us to the hospital. My mom was discharged one month later. Three days later, my brother died. He was 18 years old, the same age as I am now in 2018. Sometimes I wonder, was I meant to be built like a robot with no emotions? Days followed painfully slow. I thought I couldn’t go on after this. Living in a shelter while experiencing grief was the worst. Depression came many times to swallow me whole but by faith I overcame. School for me was kind of like a safe haven because I didn’t allow my mind to wander to unwanted thoughts. I knew that my only way out of this was through education. Instead of giving up, I pushed on even harder. Today I graduate High School with two associate degrees and a certification. And this is all because of God. I am so very thankful for this scholarship and now I will be able to further my education. More importantly, I will be able to provide for my family financially and have a place to call home. With God all things are possible and this is just the beginning!
I graduated with, Associate in Arts, Major: Liberal Arts AA, Concentration: General Liberal Arts degree. My plans feel like they are beyond my reach. However, I am trying to stay optimistic. I want to be self-employed and have my own business. Currently, I am working as a paid (business development) intern at Futures and Options for this summer. The Future Leaders Program helped me tremendously especially when I wanted to give up on college. It was extremely hard. What I wanted to accomplish in college did not happen. I was beaten down and depressed. Having this scholarship helped to remind me that this is not the end and to keep going. Thank you so much for everything! It really means a lot to me when I have people rooting and supporting me. A reminder again that I am not alone. I pray this program continues to bless others just like it blessed me. That donors will continue to give and make this program successful for many generations. Amen.
Beyond grateful. I will forever treasure this.
State University of New York at Canton, 2022 Graduate [Click to read more >>]
This scholarship played a major role in helping me to earn my degree. Thanks to it, I was able to purchase whatever I needed for my classes. Whether they be required textbooks or supplies for a project, I never had to worry about not being able to afford the things I absolutely needed to get. Especially as a student studying a subject that’s centered in programming, only being able to work on the school’s computer during certain hours wasn’t going to cut it, the money from this scholarship allowed me to get a proper laptop that was powerful enough to handle all the game engines, code editors, adobe suites, and other software’s I needed to use for classes. It was also a very big factor in allowing me to have a comfortable college experience. I didn’t have to stress out about needing to find work on campus every semester just to have some pocket money, it really allowed me to focus more of my time on my studies and enjoying my time there
Pomona College, Class of 2022 [Click to read more >>]
The Future Leaders Scholarship allowed me to focus on my academic achievements and work towards the Mellon Mays Undergraduate and Watson Fellowships without having to worry about minor expenses and inconveniences. Instead of picking up another part-time job, I was able to delve into academic research, pursue documentary filmmaking, and invest in my dreams. I valued Jess and Sharon Thompson’s transparency and trust. Unlike other scholarships that heavily police a student’s expenses (through receipts and other means), knowing that the Thompsons trusted my judgement and allowed me to spend according to my needs was a small and empowering gesture. I’m grateful for the financial and emotional support that the Future Leaders Program afforded me, and now I’ve successfully graduated from Pomona College with a B.A. in Anthropology. I will be embarking on the Watson Fellowship, where I’ll be able to travel to and explore diasporic Chinese communities across the world through filmmaking, photography, and writing in light of historic discrimination revived by COVID-19 (https://watson.foundation/fellowships/tj/fellows/a0C2I00000ZZmcvUAD). I will also be applying for various Masters, PhDs, and fellowships (17 to be precise!).
Thank you again for everything! Best of luck with the additional donors. I hope more high school seniors will have the privilege I did.
Syracuse University, 2022 Graduate [Click to read more >>]
I did graduate from Syracuse, a bit sooner than expected and took some time off afterwards. I moved to Miami about six months ago and I am now doing my masters at Utica University, I begin in the Fall. Thank you again for all your help.