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BEATING THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ODDS Note from Executive Director, James O’Neal
Though many colleges in America reported a record number of applicants in 2017, the members
of Legal Outreach's senior class , nevertheless, have beaten the odds by gaining admission to a host
of the nation's most competitive colleges. The list includes Yale, MIT, Columbia, Cornell,
Swarthmore, Pomona, Duke, Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, Rensselaer Polytechnic, Smith, Mt.
Holyoke, Brandeis, Hamilton, U. Rochester, Hampshire, Skidmore, Binghamton, and many more.
In fact, 75% of the 48 members of our graduating class were admitted to schools ranked as the nation's most, highly, or very
competitive colleges by Barron's College Profiles. Though the results may be surprising to some given the neighborhoods
from which our students hail, they are not surprising to us. Our students have devoted an extraordinary number of hours
preparing themselves for higher education over the past four years. Their work has borne fruit. To see the full college
matriculation list for the class of 2017, click here College Matriculation List - LO Class of 2017.
The work ethic and skills of our graduates have not only paved the way for many to top colleges but also to top graduate
schools. We highlight three of our alumni who are presently enrolled in graduate schools at Columbia University—the law
school, the school of public health, and Teachers College. Click here to learn more about The Columbia Express.
Our success would not be possible without the consistent support of our Board, Advisory Board, funders, partners, and
supporters. To continue this good work, we need your support as well. Every donation, large or small, helps us serve the 220
high school students presently enrolled. Your giving today will also provide scholarship support for our seniors as they take
the next step in their journey to college .
Legal Outreach, Inc. 36-14 35th St Long Island City NY 11106 718-752-0020
501(C)(3). Tax deductible .
The Newsletter of Legal Outreach
-The Verdict-
Spring 2017
Make a difference today!
Adelphi University F. Ismera Allegheny College K. Lomax D. Polanco Baruch College B. Li S. Wu Binghamton University, SUNY A. Kulesza R. Marzia Brandeis University C. Ojilere Carnegie Mellon University N. Nahar Case Western University V. Pilatova Columbia University X. Peralta Cornell University S. Gibson H. Reyes
Fordham University R. Amrin George Mason University C. Douglas Georgetown University M. Zakirova Hamilton College C. Calixto Hampshire College J. Craig J. Eweka J. Moore D. Young Iona College S. Ogunlana Ithaca College C. Jeronimo K. McClean John Jay College of Criminal Justice C. Guaman R. Lowe
Lehman College P. Asamoah Manhattanville College A. Ramos Massachusetts Institute of Tech. S. Jean-Charles Mount Holyoke College E. Tavarez Morehouse College S. Smalls New England College D. Vasquez Northeastern University N. Liang Pomona College M. Shelton Renssealear Polytechnic Institute A. Ramos Rochester Institute of Technology N. Tutu Skidmore College B. Clarke
B. Sampson Smith College A. Dujon S. Lewis St. John’s University Z. Santana Stony Brook University, SUNY R. Shimonov Swarthmore College M. Peterson University at Albany, SUNY K. Gordon R. Leandre K. Lyte University of Rochester C. Roye Yale K. Brobbey
Celebrating the Accomplishments of the LO Class of 2017
Name: Maleyah Peter son
High School: Frank Sinatra School of
Arts High School
College: Swar thmore College
“I’m thankful for a number of experiences I had at Legal Outreach, but two stand out in particular. The first
was the internship program after my freshman year. I knew that I wanted to be an attorney, but I was unclear
about what it would take to achieve the goal. The internships changed this. The attorneys I met were so
willing to help and share how they had gotten to where they are now. It made me realize that there is a point
to all the extra work that Legal Outreach was requiring us to do; you’re doing all this work so that one day
you can be in their shoes. That summer experience alone was a huge factor motivating me to work hard to gain admission to a top college.
The second program that stands out in my mind was the Constitutional Law Debate Program. My first year of debate, I didn’t win any of
the competitions. During my second year, I received more encouragement and began focusing on the feedback I received from my
attorney mentor, law student coach and the Legal Outreach staff. I started to believe I could do better and began to prepare at another
level. I challenged myself to win. Once I won the first debate, I just kept pushing myself to win another. And though I didn’t win them
all, I certainly came to understand that “all spectacular achievement is preceded by unspectacular preparation.” This part of the Legal
Outreach pledge became my motto. With that quote at the forefront of my mind, I continued to improve, and I was able to win the 2017
Debater of the Year Competition.
Over my four years in Legal Outreach, the community of friends I developed, especially in my class, kept me motivated. Just knowing
that there were peers and adults who thought that I could achieve at a high level made me believe in myself, made me demand more of
myself, and pushed me to constantly improve. Next year, I will be attending Swarthmore College where I hope to continue refining my
debating skills as I move a step closer to my ultimate goal – becoming an attorney.”
Senior Spotlight
Want to see more Senior Spotlights?
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook @legaloutreach
Please give by clicking on the button above or by sending a check to:
Legal Outreach, Inc., 36-14 35th Street, Long Island City, NY 11106
If you would like more information, don't hesitate to contact:
Massiel Ramos at [email protected].
501(C)(3). Tax deductible .
I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
To continue to make a difference in the lives of students like Maleyah, donate today!
My participation in Legal Outreach’s Law and Justice
Institute at Columbia Law School was my first introduc-
tion to law and was the first time I, as a rising 9th grad-
er, was able to envision myself as an attorney. It was
through my participation in the mock trial competition
that I realized I not only liked what I was doing, but I
was good at it. At the end of the summer program, I
promised myself I would return to CLS one day. From
that day forward, I dedicated myself to the task. I joined
Legal Outreach's College Bound Program where
I developed and polished my organizational, writing,
and public speaking skills. In addition to academic sup-
port, the program provided me with
the encouragement and support to apply to selective colleges, even though my high school advisor tried to dis-
courage me from doing so. I chose to attend Williams College and during my senior year, as I completed the
law school application process, I made Columbia my number one choice. When I received my letter of ac-
ceptance last year, I was beyond ecstatic. As I finish my first year, I am grateful to Legal Outreach for helping
me envision a different life for myself and providing me with the solid foundation needed to turn my dreams
into reality. ~ Katherine Nunez, LO ’12, Williams College ’16, Columbia Law School ’19.
Katherine is completing her first year at Columbia Law School. Shortly after finishing finals, she will begin
an internship at American International Group (AIG).
The Columbia Express The skills our students develop and enhance during their high school years not only propel them through col-
lege but, for many, to graduate schools as well. Here are three Legal Outreach alumni currently enrolled in
graduate schools at Columbia University.
Legal Outreach, Inc. 36-14 35th St Long Island City NY 11106 718-752-0020
Katherine Nunez
“After working a few years upon graduating from Skidmore
College, I joined the staff of Legal Outreach as a College Ac-
cess Coordinator. One of the best parts of my role is being able
to help students understand the importance of working to their
full potential in high school. As a Legal Outreach alumnae, the
program certainly helped me build a strong academic founda-
tion, enabling me to perform well at the undergraduate level. In
particular, the Saturday Writing Classes strengthened my writ-
ing skills and the series of Constitutional Law Debates pushed
me to develop my analytical skills. The program also helped
me build the necessary social capital to advance myself aca-
demically and professionally. The work of the organization is
one of the reasons I was motivated to apply to graduate school
at Teachers College, Columbia University. My desire is to fur-
ther understand the educational policies that impact NYC stu-
dents on a daily basis and to be a force for improving the path-
way for others.” ~ Evelyn Canela, LO’09, Skidmore College ’13, Columbia University Teacher’s College MA
‘18.
Evelyn is completing her first year at Columbia’s Teacher College in the Education Policy and Social Analy-
sis Department. She will be participating in an education practicum at Columbia Law School’s Center for
Public Research and Leadership this fall serving as a policy consultant with the hopes of serving in a similar
capacity following her graduation next year.
“Growing up in Harlem, the world didn’t always seem accessible. That all
changed once I joined Legal Outreach. The program offered me exposure to
people and places that were beyond my normal purview. Equally as important,
the program helped me develop the public speaking, critical thinking, and writ-
ing skills as well as the self-efficacy that would take me through college and
graduate school. Though I figured out pretty quickly while I was in college that
law was not my calling, I felt confident in my ability to succeed in other disci-
plines. And once I decided to study public health, the skills I developed while
at Legal Outreach allowed me to achieve success as an undergraduate majoring
in Bioethics. From there, I chose to pursue a Masters in Health Administra-
tion at Columbia. No matter what I achieve, I’ll always be grateful to Legal
Outreach for providing me with a solid foundation.” ~Kwasi Nyantakyi, LO
’11, University of Rochester ’15, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health MHA ’17.
Kwasi will be graduating from Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health on the 16th of May with a
Master of Health Administration. Shortly after, he will begin a 1 year administrative fellowship with Thom-
as Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.
The Columbia Express
Legal Outreach, Inc. 36-14 35th St Long Island City NY 11106 718-752-0020
Kwasi Nyantakyi
Evelyn Canela