Meet Sam
Wheaton High School, Class of 2013
The Ohio State University, Class of 2017
“In all that I have accomplished, I can’t say I could have done it any other way without the heavy involvement of the Collegiate Directions team.”
My name is Samuel and I joined Collegiate Directions, Inc. as a junior in high school in Montgomery County. CDI has been a tremendous support to my family, and I would not have attended or graduated from a competitive university without their overwhelming support.
During my upbringing in Section 8 projects, I was in and surrounded by poverty and the influence of people who did not make the best choices. Naturally my environment was molding me into a byproduct of poor decision making and a pessimistic perspective of attaining something substantial for my betterment. Fortunately, all credit is due to the strong forces of my hard-working immigrant parents who valued education and an attentive team from CDI to re-navigate the projection of my future.
At a young age, my parents and I immigrated to the United States from Eritrea, a young war-torn country. My parents with just a middle and high school education sacrificed everything that was familiar to them to seek a better educational opportunity for my siblings and I. Unfortunately, when it came around to applying to universities, my parents could do nothing about easing and simplifying this unfamiliar process. I worked my tail off to become competitive in the application process, however I had no idea where to start.
I was blessed to have my efforts recognized and being asked to apply to the CDI program. A program glorified by my schoolmates as the professionals that will bring you to your fullest potential and set you up for matriculation. While going through the program, my parents were still afraid of the negative influences that surrounded me in my neighborhood. I just did not have the right role models around me. Not only did CDI cultivate me into a scholastic being, they were my second set of parents who reinforced me to have positive self-esteem and goals.
Through their mentorship and tailored guidance, they helped me believe in myself more than of my peers. They instilled me with confidence when I was struggling to cope with a 17 score on the ACT, and giving specialized attention and care to get me to a 24. The academic support on my coursework and standardized tests allowed me to become competitive amongst the pool of applicants in the college application process. I was challenged to apply to competitive institutions that my high school career navigators advised against because they were too competitive. I got accepted to all eleven schools I applied to.
This happened not only because of my merit but CDI and its counselors transformed the way I saw myself and that allowed me to convey myself more confidently on paper. I really won the admissions teams at these universities with the stories I could tell reflecting my trials and tribulations. There was no other non-profit that I was participating in at the time that was making this kind of revolutionary change and delivering results for their students.
My counselor at this point knew me inside and out, that the only way I would be able to attend any of these schools was if I received a generous financial aid package. Through essays and narratives, my counselor was able to navigate me through the scholarship application process, amounting to receiving $40,000 per year from my alma mater, The Ohio State University. The thrill and excitement that was running through the veins of my parents and I could not compare to any other part of our lives. The pressure was finally off once my family realized that their oldest son was going to receive a bachelors from a competitive public institution, for free!
I graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelors in Strategic Communication. After leaving, I don’t believe I could have spent four years of my life anywhere else and would have become the well-rounded and intellectual individual I am today. When I graduated, I went back to CDI and started working with them as a Program Assistant! The work was rewarding and gave me good groundwork for further career advancements. I am currently at Yelp as an Account Executive helping business owners grow their businesses through marketing and advertising.
In all that I have accomplished, I can’t say I could have done it any other way without the heavy involvement of the Collegiate Directions team. My parents and I believe we owe them ten fold for what they were able to do for us. If it weren’t for CDI, I honestly believe I would be reaching the current success I am at right now, professionally, financially, and mentally.
