SCHOLARS PROGRAM ’98 | GEORGE SCHOOL ’02 | NEW YORK UNIVERSITY ’06 | NEW YORK MEDICAL COLLEGE ’12

Prior to SEEDS, I grew up in Philadelphia, PA, and remember the school system being really bad. As a child, I quickly learned how to read upside down because had to share one classroom book with four students – that’s how under-resourced the schools were. At that time, I was supposed to skip from fourth grade to sixth grade; this was pretty common for smarter students and there was actually a track for skipping fifth grade altogether.

However, before entering fifth grade, my family and I moved to Marlton, NJ, and it wasn’t until then that I realized how poor of an education I had been exposed to. The Marlton school system was much better than what I had been previously exposed to, and I quickly found out that I was actually behind because the Philadelphia school system was so poor.

Fortunately for me, I had a guidance counselor who somehow knew about a program called SEEDS, who also took great interest in me. She knew my potential as a student, knew about my family’s financial situation, and knew that there was something bigger and better out there for me. She gave me a paper brochure, directed me and my family to look into the program, and encouraged me to apply.

Applying to SEEDS was such an important milestone, firstly, because we didn’t even know that programs like SEEDS existed. I thought to myself, “Poor kids can go to private school? For free?”. Students like me who came from very little means would not have known that, especially back then. People were just beginning to know what the internet was. There were no search engines or social networks; our networks were limited to just the people who were physically around us.

Secondly, culture had a big thing to do with it. Coming from an Asian background, you don’t talk about being poor. We were less inclined to take advantage of government programs; my family did not want to feel as if they were taking handouts. There was a lot of pride. So, for a program like SEEDS to come along, and give me this huge opportunity at a better life through education, was something we just had to do.

The education that I received from SEEDS was on another level. It more than prepared me, to not only be on par but above par once I got to George School. Most of my peers, at the time, did not even know how to write five paragraphs and I thought, ‘What? You don’t know how to do this?” I went from being so behind in public school to being ahead at an elite school, all because SEEDS gave me that incredible education that set me up for success.

Being a part of SEEDS taught me a lot of lessons, but the most important one, especially as I climbed the socioeconomic ladder, is that your net worth is your network. When you are poor, you don’t have a network of upward mobility. But with SEEDS, you have that network – people who understand that rare ability to rise from the very bottom to the very top. Less than two percent of people can make that big of a move. And so, the biggest thing I realized is that when you’re making those leaps, it’s because of the access you’re given and the relationships that you’ve made that contribute to that sort of success and open doors.

As not only the first high school graduate in my family, but also the first college applicant, going through SEEDS provided a clear opportunity for higher, better education. I know that I would have been successful either way – not being successful wasn’t an option – but my parents had no idea how to support me or how to help me find the right school. My parents always did their best, but just didn’t know how the school system worked. They would always say, “Do your best, get good grades…”, but that wasn’t going to help me get to where I needed to go. And my public schools didn’t offer the right attention or hand-holding that most students need to get into college or to even explore what’s out there. At George School, it was the opposite. There was so much support and guidance. They paid for my application fees to colleges, provided SAT prep, helped me with my personal college admission statement, and helped me put together my list of both reach and safety schools. Going to an independent school was that pivotal step, and I wouldn’t have had access to it had it not been for SEEDS.

While I would have still become a doctor, it wouldn’t have been as fast. Graduating from SEEDS was that massive shift in my career trajectory. I have zero doubts about that.

What I want other students to know is that SEEDS gives you the education you need to open the doors that you want to see yourself walkthrough. They give you the support, guidance, and network that you need to succeed. But you have to bring your work ethic to get through the program. Being a part of SEEDS is a significant burden and sacrifice as a young person – you have to give up your Saturdays and summers for extra schooling, but it will all pay off tenfold in the future. It’s a huge mental leap but it will make your life that much easier after the fact. The personal investment of your time into your own learning and development is invaluable.