Help Umber raise money

Hi! As many of you may know, I currently serve as an Associate Board member for Minds Matter, an education nonprofit that connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their future, and change the world. I started my volunteer journey with Minds Matter in 2016 as a sophomore mentor for Joanna, an amazing first-generation American student, and worked with Joanna throughout her high school journey with Minds Matter, which culminated in her receiving a scholarship from her dream school in California.

Throughout that three-year junior, I saw the transformative power of Minds Matter. By pairing students with two mentors for mentoring sessions every Saturday afternoon in addition to academic tutoring sessions in the mornings, students were provided a rigorous curriculum to not only develop their fundamental academic skillsets, but also important ‘life skills’, such as critical reasoning, discussions around personal finance, and networking events with other students and mentors. By the end of the program, each student will have dedicated more than 600 hours to the program, including Sophomore / Junior year summer immersion programs and intensive SAT / ACT preparation.  

The results of Minds Matter program truly speak for themselves. To-date, Minds Matter students have maintained a 100% acceptance rate to 4-year colleges, with over 85% of universities being considered as “highly selective”. Perhaps even more impressively, over 70% of students graduating seniors are first-generation college students, whose average family income is less than $25,000. 

As you think about organizations that you’d like to support this year with charitable contributions, I hope that you’ll consider joining me in supporting Minds Matter and the terrific work the program does in New York City and around the country. I recognize how fortunate I am to have grown up in a household with supportive parents, who not only encouraged my academic pursuits and prioritized college but also taught me the importance of contributing and giving back to the communities in which we live. I hope that by devoting my time with these students each Saturday and financially supporting Minds Matter, I can ensure my mentees feel the support that I benefited from and are equipped with the tools required to realize their potential.

Thank you for considering a gift to Minds Matter; our collective goal is to raise $35,000 through the 5K challenge. We greatly appreciate any and all donations, as our students' success and the program hinges on your generosity.