Not every high school is West Virginia is fortunate enough to presume opportunities in higher education.

For those students who have potential to succeed in college, but have never been motivated, an organization is there to help them pursue that dream: College Summit. College Summit began in 1993 (the year I enrolled as a freshman at WVU) in Washington, D.C. to provide writing skills and the “know-how” for urban youth to enroll in college. Since then, the program has expanded to 13 states and helped thousands of high school seniors pursue a college degree.

For the past three years, the Charleston Area Alliance has provided scholarships to three College Summit participants to attend a state college. This year, Generation Charleston will provide a scholarship to a fourth College Summit participant.

In addition, Generation Charleston will partner with College Summit to mentor incoming freshmen; raise money to provide scholarships; and hold public forums to discuss the role higher education plays in Generation Charleston’s goal to attract and retain young professionals in the Capital City.

As Member-At-Large, Rachelle Beckner is shepherding this project throughout the year and helping us achieve our goal to mentor future leaders for our city.

Here are some teasers for future events and a few dates to save on your calendar:

•   On June 3, at the Charleston Area Alliance’s Annual Meeting, Generation Charleston will provide a scholarship to a student.

•   Generation Charleston members will be asked to volunteer for one of six College Summit workshops this summer. The three-day seminars are held June through mid-August.

•   In July, we will host past and future College Summit students who have received scholarships from the CAA at our summer picnic.

•   We plan to provide each of the scholarship winners with a College Survival Kit before they head off for the fall semester.

•   The Special Events team will hold two fundraisers this year to support the Generation Charleston scholarship to a College Summit student: the annual Generations Celebration (September) and the December First Friday.

We invite you to participate in these activities throughout the year to support an organization that is working for change that matters by supporting future leaders with the tools to succeed in college.