From Seeds of Fortune to Success: Reflections from an NYU Sophomore

I was initially attracted to the program because the founder Nitiya Walker is a Black woman who sought to help underrepresented women gain financial literacy and college readiness skills. Coming from an immigrant family, it was hard navigating the steps necessary to go to college. But Seeds of Fortune was there every step of the way! Their various college coaches helped with essay writing, financial aid, and scholarships! 

My experience in the program was great. We had Zoom sessions frequently. So I was able to participate from home. One salient moment is when I joined one of their Zoom sessions. And one of the college coaches told us about a scholarship from Chime Bank that was due that same day. I hesitantly decided to apply considering the time frame. To my surprise, I ended up winning the scholarship and becoming a Chime Scholar!

My transition to NYU was smooth because of all the preparation I did during the summer time with Seeds of Fortune. I was familiar with other people in the program attending NYU. So I didn’t feel lonely at all. In addition, Seeds of Fortune encouraged me to be more open and meet new people. 

Some of the highlights of my student experience so far is becoming a Welcome Leader in Fall 2024 and helping to ensure incoming first years had a smooth transition into NYU! In addition, I became a mentor within the Academic Achievement Program, joined two executive boards (Organization of Black Women and African Students Union), and tutor 4th graders through America Reads. One of my highlights was also going to Italy with the Presidential Honors Scholars Program!