CLEVELAND — The number 17 is 12th grade student Tamyra Tate’s lucky number.
“I’m 17-years-old. I got 17 schools, and I raised my score — ACT score — by 17 points,” said Tate.
This means she’s going to college. She has goals of becoming a doctor and owning her own practice. If you would have asked her about her dreams a few years ago, they’d be very different. Tate comes from a low-income family and going to college was never on her radar growing up.
“We didn’t have the money to send me to college, which was kind of hard. I really, even though I didn’t really think of college, I thought it was kind of upsetting because we couldn’t afford it,” said Tate. “It wasn’t really a priority since no one really knew exactly the college process or where to start.”
Tate’s guidance counselor recognized how many extra curriculars she was involved in and her high test scores. She took Tate aside and mentioned the idea of going to college and connected her with a nonprofit that has changed her life’s trajectory. With the help of Minds Matter Cleveland Tate has the ability to pursue a dream she never thought was possible.
“We don’t want any student to miss out on reaching their full potential, just due to their, the zip code they were born into, or their personal family situation, their economic circumstances or anything else that’s getting in their way,” said Sara Elaqad, executive director of Minds Matter Cleveland.
For low-income students in Cleveland, hardworking plus high-achieving doesn’t always equal opportunity. Minds Matter Cleveland is working to change that through connecting hardworking students from low-income families to the people, preparation and possibilities needed to get to and through college. Through personalized, free college advising, intensive ACT prep, summer academic programs at colleges all around the United States and more, Minds Matter Cleveland students are able to not only go to college, but choose where they go to college.
“My top five are Ohio State, Carnegie Mellon, Oberlin College, University of Cincinnati and Gettysburg college,” said Tate. “I’m grateful because without this resource, I don’t think I would be where I’m at now.”
“Once our students go through the program, they’ll graduate with a four-year degree and they’ll be well equipped to participate in a career that provides, you know, not just the personal and meaningful things that they want, but provides a stable life for them,” said Elaqad.
Minds Matter Cleveland has a goal of putting the Education system’s focus back on ability, instead of mere access.
“Cleveland is the poorest big city in the country. And along with that, we have a very low college graduation rate across the U.S. First-generation, low-income students only graduate from college at a rate of about 11%,” said Elaqad. “And we know that students have immense potential in Cleveland and they’re dealing with a lot of challenges related to lack of resources and frankly poverty and the impact of it throughout our community. And so Cleveland needs Minds Matter because the students in Cleveland have immense potential, and they should have every opportunity to reach that potential.”
They help determined students like Tate get into college and introduce them to a world of opportunity outside their neighborhoods and comfort zones.
“Because of my Minds Matter, I feel like I see that now. I see all of that. I see that I can do whatever I put my mind to, no matter where I come from, no matter what my skin color is or what my gender is,” said Tate. “I’m proud of myself.”
One-hundred percent of Minds Matter Cleveland students have been accepted into a four-year college. Minds Matter is free to students due to the generosity of corporate, individual donors and local and private foundations. For more information on Minds Matter Cleveland you can visit its website.
