A walking distance east of Lake Worth High School lies a once dilapidated two-story, 5,000 square foot building that’s now on the verge of transforming into the Catapult Youth Mentoring Center.
The nonprofit Path to College — a college-readiness fellowship program in Palm Beach County — is building its first after-school center to help high-achieving, low-income students at Title 1 public schools gain access to top-tier colleges and universities.
From SAT prep and college application guidance to FAFSA workshops, the nonprofit’s fellowship has guided students who live below or at the poverty line for nearly seven years.
According to Founder and Executive Director Christine Sylvain, the program boast a 100% acceptance rate into 4-year universities, with 60% of students in their program being accepted to top-tier institutions — which she estimates equates to "an additional 21% increase in their earning potential."
Sylvain, who started her career as a journalist and associate producer of documentaries for PBS and HBO, said the planned one-on-one mentoring at Catapult with local professionals across industries, STEM career exposure initiatives, and mental health services aren't just for getting into college. The program will also serve as an intense preparation for long-term career plans and financial stability goals for struggling families in the area where "there's not a lot of resources for students here outside of school," she said.
Sylvain said Catapult Youth Mentoring Center will be accessible to students across the county, not just Lake Worth Beach.
“It's incredibly important to have a place to go — lights on, a snack, a computer to do homework at, and a tutor available for you,” Sylvain said. “It cuts down on behavioral issues. It cuts down on attendance issues, and it's going to help our kids achieve more.”
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There's a lack of institutions in the county that have doors open for students to specifically receive career assessments and make extra plans for what's happening after high school.
Sylvain said Catapult is receiving funding through a combination of private and public supporters, including renovation help from Lake Worth Beach's Community Redevelopment Agency — and state support from Republican Representative Mike Caruso and Democratic Senator Bobby Powell.
Representative Caruso visited the center earlier this month.
Nearly 70% of public schools in Palm Beach County are designated as Title 1 schools, with the majority participating in the federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program.
The Path to College program typically deals with Black and Hispanic students with immigrant families facing financial obstacles.
According to Census data, from 2012 to 2022, the number of Black and Hispanic adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more, increased by around 6 percentage points to 27% and 20%, respectively. But despite the slight uptick in higher education attainment, those groups still lag behind the non-Hispanic white population, at 42%, and those of Asian origin, at 59%.
Sylvain said the availability of physical spaces with college resources in low-income communities could help close the gap.
“It's going to be open every day. There's going to be a caring adult there who can sit down with a student, make sure that they feel seen, and that their futures are affirmed. That they can do anything they set their mind to," she said.
The free center is in the funding phase and is aiming to open within six to 12 months.
Children of immigrants find their path to college
Former Path to College fellow Gabriel Gerig visited the center recently to share his testimony in a video montage about the program.
Gerig, who is studying economics and government in his second year at Harvard University, told WLRN the private one-on-one mentoring and mental health support from mentors at various locations, from schools to libraries and co-working spaces, helped him get through high school.
Bottom Photo: On the second floor, Path to College fellows, high school students Sarai Umansor Morales and and Jannatul Begum, chat with former fellows and staff during a photo and video shoot with photographer Judith Rae.
Gerig was born and raised in Venezuela and moved to United States six years ago. "I didn't speak a word of English," he told WLRN. "I don’t think I’d be where I’m at today without their support."
"I know a lot of students they don't have a place after school and this is a great way to stay connected with ambitious students that are like minded and that are just working hard towards their future," he said.
Haitian-American Kimberly Nertilus, a former Path to College Fellow, is a first-year college student at Washington University in St. Louis, double majoring in anthropology and computer science.
She said despite very high graduation rates in Palm Beach County high schools, centers like Catapult could help increase college attendance rate because the center would ideally lessen the burden on parents and school administrators.
"It's very important to have a center like this in Lake Worth," Nertilus told WLRN. "Because as a low income student myself, schools in this area, or in Title I schools overall, they don't offer as much resources and supports that other top schools would," she said.
