Christina Barron

For Christina Barron, college was a mystery. No one in her family had gone to college. And in Astoria Houses, where she lives, most of her neighbors had never set foot on a college campus. Inspired about a young woman in similar circumstances who made it to college, Christina set out to achieve this goal and enrolled in Urban Upbound’s College Access Program. She went on college tours, learned about financial aid and what different colleges had to offer, and got help preparing for the SAT. Applying to college, Christina said, was “challenging and frustrating” but she knew she could always count on Urban Upbound’s college coordinators for encouragement and support. She also made lots of friends who shared her dream. Today, Christina Barron is a sophomore at New York University, the recipient of a full scholarship. She wants to make sure other young people have the same opportunity, so she’s a mentor to high school student with college aspirations through Urban Upbound’s mentorship program.