STORIES OF IMPACT | Jonathan A.

A CatRock Alum’s Journey: From High School Freshman to College Freshman

Jonathan A.’s CatRock journey began his freshman year of high school and brought him all the way to Bard College where he in the midst of his first fall on campus.

All through high school, Jonathan took part in a variety of CatRock trips and activities, everything from snowboarding at Jay Peak in Vermont, to backpacking in New York State, to environmental stewardship projects like neighborhood clean ups.

But CatRock is more than a collection of activities according to Jonathan. The nonprofit’s experiences are imbued with purpose and meaning that can change your life. “CatRock has a mission and goals for the youth. They took us from our comfort zone here in the Bronx and opened us up to a new reality. CatRock opens your mind so that you see the world and capabilities for the future.”

Over time, Jonathan changed and developed. “CatRock changed my perception of the world and made me realize how big it is and how many opportunities there are. Instead of watching YouTube videos, I was climbing mountains,” recalls Jonathan. “I progressed through each trip. I took on leadership roles and I exposed myself to helping other people.”

When it was time to think about college, the CatRock College Advisory Program was right there to guide and assist Jonathan. CatRock partners with the New Settlement College Access Center in the Bronx to provide students with personalized, one-on-one college advisory services throughout junior and senior years of high school. Initial college workshops provided an overview of the college application process, the costs, different types of schools, and financial aid. Jonathan then moved on to weekly one-on-one meetings with Shuba M., the New Settlement college counselor who guided him step-by-step him throughout the process, from college applications to acceptances.


“The energy you put in to your college application effort is what you’ll get back from CatRock,” explains Jonathan. “They have your back.”


“Shuba helped me a lot,” notes Jonathan. “My high school only had one guidance counselor so having her support was invaluable.”

The CatRock program was instrumental in enabling Jonathan to attend Bard College where is he one of just seven individuals accepted into the competitive Bard Opportunity Program. Significantly, Jonathan is also the first in his family to attend college and CatRock helped him navigate the complex American college application process. “The best part about the CatRock college program was the hugely powerful and strong support from everybody there. Everyone helped and really wanted me and other people in the program to go to college. That genuine support was more than enough motivation than anybody could ask for.”

According to Jonathan, CatRock provides endless opportunities that start with those high school trips and can end up with help getting into college. But you have to recognize and take advantage of the benefits of the experiences. And you need to be willing to do the work to get ahead. “The energy you put in to your college application effort is what you’ll get back from CatRock,” explains Jonathan. “They have your back.”

Today, Jonathan is enjoying his first semester at Bard and thinking about studying creative writing. But CatRock is never far from his thoughts. “CatRock is a forever community. It is such a blessing to be part of this program.”



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