WHY I APPLIED ...

"I applied to Breakthrough because I didn’t want to sit at home all summer and do nothing. I wanted to learn more. I thought…my cousin came here and had lots of fun so I wanted to see what it was like and also be there with her and learn more."
– De’Angelo

"I applied to Breakthrough because I wanted a challenge. One of my challenges is waking up early, like at 5 or 6 a.m., and completing all of my BooYah [homework]"
- Tempest

"I was always the super nerd at my school. Everyone said that I should go to college the day I graduated. So it was never really an option for me not to go here."
- Raj

"Right now all my friends are out doing some summer stuff. But I’m here and I tell them I’m going to something like summer school. And they’re like, ‘why not just come out and have fun with us?’ I tell them I need to go here to keep my brain alive. So right now if I get to 8th grade, I’ll know what they’re learning. Breakthrough is helping me through the school year."
- Maryanne

"I applied because my family does not have a lot of money to send me to college, so I really need help to get a scholarship. So I really just needed this program to help me."
- TreVon

"One of my friends is going to summer camp now, and she asked, ‘Are you nuts?! Why are you going to school in the summer? Summer is supposed to be for relaxing.’ I said that it is supposed to be fun [at Breakthrough] so I’m going to get more education so when I get to junior high I learn that maybe the homework isn’t as hard. Because instead of your brain shutting down for two and a half months, it is going to be working for six weeks so then you can still challenge yourself."
– Mary Grace