By the time he reached high school, Isaac Silwal was already more intrepid than most, just by virtue of the many life changes he already had experienced. Born in Nepal, he lived in India for several years before immigrating to the US.
At his high school in Tukwila, Washington, Silwal was introduced to Summer Search, a national nonprofit that partners with high schools in seven urban areas on the east and west coasts. Summer Search takes promising high school students under its wing and sets them on the path to college and future success through intensive academic mentoring and other developmental programs. The focus is not just on academic success, but on creating well-rounded individuals with unique life experiences under their belt and a broad understanding of the world outside their home communities.
Though Silwal is ambitious, neither of his parents had gone to college, which meant he would be navigating a path that had previously not been charted by anyone in his family as he made his way through high school and potentially on to postsecondary education.
“When I came to the United States, I used to feel kind of alone, since I was not really confident talking with people, as well as since English is not my first language,” Siliwal said. “But after I entered Summer Search, I found that there were people who cared about me, who would guide me and wanted me to be a successful person.”
The majority—90 percent—of students in Summer Search are first-generation college-bound students. Though first-generation college students typically fare worse when it comes to college retention than their peers whose parents did go to college, Summer Search participants buck the trend: 80 percent of Summer Search high school graduates either have graduated or are on track to graduate from college.
“Our goal is to ensure that low-income high school students are able to get through college and give back as leaders in their families and communities,” said Amy Saxton, CEO of Summer Search. “We partner deeply with high schools that tend to have low graduation and college matriculation rates, because that’s the way we can make the most impact.”
