A graduation ceremony and the completion of a mural capped Vassar’s inaugural New Americans program, a two-week session designed to provide high-achieving, recent immigrants currently in high school an opportunity to learn about ways to thrive in college.

Students in the Community Fellows program spent the summer gaining hands-on experience, while strengthening Vassar’s ties with the community. The fellows worked on issues such as food security, housing, victim services, and more.

More than 20 local high school students enrolled in a two-week, on-campus summer learning program under the auspices of Exploring College, a component of the Vassar College Urban Education Initiative (VCUEI) this summer. The summer session was part of a four-year enrichment program that prepares high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds for college.