Featured Student

Brighton High School senior Ruo Chen took a giant leap forward in reaching his dream of college this spring.

In early April, Ruo received a letter from Harvard in early April. Not only was he accepted, but he was awarded full funding for tuition, room and board. None of that would have been possible, Ruo says, without the help of his ACCESS advisor, Pete Shungu. 

"I'm truly grateful," he says. "He helped me fill out all the applications for financial aid. My parents don't speak English, so Pete's the only one that could help me." Ruo, a first-generation college-goer, met with his advisor six or seven times during the school year to complete the financial aid process and apply for scholarships. He is excited about attending Harvard in the fall and didn't wait to let the school know - after receiving the good news, he sent in his acceptance paperwork the very next day.