NEW YORK – After Hamissou Samari’s mother passed away in Togo, he immigrated to the United States at age 23 with big dreams but never imagined he would be accepted to an institution like Harvard University.
“For me it was totally unrealistic to even think about it,” says the former shoe salesman. His parents were illiterate, and his father passed away three weeks shy of Samari’s seventh birthday.
The infinite possibilities for his life became apparent five years ago after Samari, then a student at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, was accepted into a Kaplan Educational Foundation scholarship and leadership program for nontraditional students enrolled in community colleges. Last year, Samari graduated from American University with a bachelor’s in international studies, and this fall he starts work on his master’s in public policy at Harvard.
“This drive, this determination I got is because of Kaplan,” says Samari. “Kaplan told me there is nothing that I want to do that I won’t be able to do.”
His introduction to Kaplan came when his community college adviser recommended Samari, who was excelling in his studies, for the Kaplan Educational Foundation’s Leadership Program. He along with three other students formed the program’s first cohort five years ago.
“If you’re an adult learner or you’re in community college, there’s not a lot of charitable support and yet those students tend to be tremendously needy,” says foundation chairwoman Melissa Mack.
Designed for underserved community college students in New York, the comprehensive, first-of-its-kind program provides the scholars with money to cover tuition and living expenses, personalized tutoring, mentorship, and workshops on networking, transferring to four-year schools and getting the most financial aid, among other topics.
