My name is Kerlyn Caba, and I graduated from St. Lawrence University in 2024.
Throughout my senior year, I dreaded the college application process. My college readiness was of the utmost importance to me. Surely enough, the Uptown Educational Foundation assisted me in my struggles. For example, the SAT was one of my worst fears. My PSAT and SAT scores were below what I expected, but after receiving SAT prep through the Foundation, not only did I raise my scores to where I felt they should have been, but I also became more confident in tackling other aspects expected of me.
Furthermore, something that I really wanted to excel at was my college essay. One of the most challenging things to do when writing is collecting all thoughts and portrayals of the story onto paper. After repeatedly rewriting my personal statement through my strong connection with The Foundation, I was finally able to submit my work to colleges with a proud smile and a gleaming aura of confidence. I knew that that essay had such value to me, and it portrayed all of my thoughts the way I wanted the college admission offices to read it.
Beyond the application process, the scholarships awarded to me were pivotal in alleviating some of my financial struggles. As I entered college, I used those funds for many essential purposes. The biggest benefit for me was the travel expense. Traveling to and from college without a car was not easy for me. I used some of the scholarship funds to help me get to my future school, St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Needless to say, the Foundation was an essential part of preparing for college.