Gina’s Dream

Born to a teenage mother in the South Bronx, NY, Gina grew up in the projects, where the buildings were “burn outs.” Meals often consisted of government subsidized food or spam and mayonnaise. Gina’s tough grandmother raised her and kept a sharp eye on

her education. In order to apply for ABC, Gina had to attend middle school outside her district. She did, walking half-a-mile and taking two buses each way. Her hard work paid off.

Gina thrived in Wellesley’s ABC program, taking comfort in the discipline and strong focus on academics. She recalls how she barely knew anyone outside of the four square blocks in the projects that she considered home. Through ABC, her host family and house parents, Gina’s view of the world was vastly expanded. In fact, a college scouting trip with her house parents proved life altering for Gina. They toured Williams College and she fell in love with the place and the institution. While there, she purchased a Williams t-shirt that she buried in her dresser drawer, vowing not to wear it until she was accepted into the school. Two years later, she wore the shirt. Gina studied English at Williams on a full scholarship. A few years later, she became a Director of Admissions for the college. Today, she is the Associate Dean of Students, having earned a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy. She is an inspiration to many, including the numerous rugby players at Williams whom she has coached over the last 11 years.  In addition, she founded and runs a non-profit company called Quest for College. Its goal, as you might expect, is to give high school students a better chance at getting into college.

Through ABC, we provided Gina with A Better Chance.

We helped make a dream come true. 

You can too. 

It’s as easy as ABC.