The seed of College Bound was planted in 1990. At that time, all we were trying to do was navigate through the complicated waters of the college admission process. We could have not foreseen that, from a class of 7 which met around a dining room table that College Bound would branch off to offer tutorial services, summer enrichment classes, and have an extensive alumni base that consist of attorneys, doctors, educators, engineers, etc. All we did was provide the students in 1991 with the knowledge, skill set, and information that we had to offer and merely hope that our efforts would in turn enable them to pass on their newly attained knowledge to future generations.
While I pride myself on having the capacity to be visionary and think outside of the current moment of time, my optimism of College Bound’s future success was fueled by a hope embodied within luminary figures such as Fannie Lou Hamer and Mary McLeod Bethune. Through many long nights of prayers, hope was the spiritual foundation that supported College Bound’s growth and ability to thrive to this point. This hope is founded within the notion that one day the world will be vastly more equal, democratic, and just. While I recognize that we are far from that goal, I look upon College Bound students today and I see opportunities, skills, and the potential to far exceed the accomplishments of their 1991 counterparts.