Community Champion of the Week: The Hazleton College Access Fund

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Just before her senior year at Hazleton Area High School (HAHS), Rosa Ramirez Almanzar called her mother in the Dominican Republic. Rosa was in tears. “Mom,” she said, “I came here to study, but I think I have to go back to the D.R. after I graduate. Getting into college here is so hard, and I don’t think I can afford it even if I got in.”

Like so many immigrants before her, Rosa had traveled to the U.S. on her own to pursue an American education and make a better life for herself. But despite rapidly learning English and impressing her high school teachers with her hard work and intelligence, Rosa could not see a way to go to college in the U.S.

Fast-forward to June 2024. Rosa’s mother watched proudly as her daughter was recognized as an HAHS Distinguished Graduate and the recipient of a full scholarship at Bryn Mawr College, one of the top-ranked Seven Sisters colleges. What made the difference? Early in Rosa’s senior year, Dr. Lauren Conston, head of the World Languages Department at HAHS, identified her as a talented student and encouraged her to work with Hazleton College Access of The Luzerne Foundation.

Founded by Dr. Julie Vandivere, former director of the Honors College at Bloomsburg University, Hazleton College Access provides intensive mentoring to high-achieving Hazleton Area High School students who are from underrepresented cultural or socioeconomic backgrounds and/or identify as first-generation college-bound students.

In addition to walking students through the increasingly complex college application and financial aid process, the program’s all-volunteer team addresses exacerbating issues these students often face, including underapplying (applying only to less/nonselective colleges with fewer resources), low expectations, imposter syndrome, language barriers, and more.

With the help of Hazleton College Access, Rosa will soon head off to Bryn Mawr College to major in biology and education. “I know how lucky I am,” she says, “so I’ve set myself a goal. I plan to use the knowledge I’ve acquired through my high school and college careers to help those who don’t have access to a good education.”

Other program participants this year were admitted to Bucknell University, Connecticut College, Franklin & Marshall College, Union College, and more. “We are also proud to have partnered with Penn State Hazleton and Susquehanna University, who have made a strong and clear commitment to admitting and supporting our students,” says Dr. Vandivere.

“And speaking of partnerships, we are especially grateful for The Luzerne Foundation. As our grantmaking partner, the foundation handles all our accounting and financial transactions, making it possible for us to do the work we do, while also accepting donations we use to award last-dollar scholarships to our students.”

Should you wish to support the Hazleton College Access Fund, please consider donating via the website listed below or by scanning the QR code.

Working together makes our community stronger. If you have a cause near to your heart and want to make a difference here in Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond, please call us at the Luzerne Foundation or visit www.luzfdn.org for more information.

Do you want to make our community better? So do we. Let’s do it together.