In April 2017, NJCDC held the first of what would become an annual Ivy League Tour for Paterson teens. Dozens of high school-aged students from NJCDC's youth development programs, including the Paterson Youth Council, embarked on a bus that soon took them to some of the country's—and world's—top universities: Harvard, Yale, and MIT.

In the years that followed, we heard countless poignant stories from teens that went on our Ivy League Tours. They told us that the tour inspired them and showed them that, with hard work, they too could attend one of these schools; despite the obstacles they faced, attending a top university was now a dream within reach. And in recent years, our students and program alumni have matriculated to top schools including Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and Swarthmore College.

It isn't until now, however, that a student who attended our Ivy League Tour was headed to one of the three schools on that trip—Harvard, Yale, or MIT. This fall, Iffat Aniqa, who attends John F. Kennedy Educational Complex's School of Education and Training, will start Yale University, where she plans on majoring in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. She hopes to one day pursue a career in genetics.

Iffat has been involved in many NJCDC programs, including our Paterson Youth Council (PYC), a year-long leadership development program for Paterson teens. As a PYC member, she attended our Ivy League Tour in spring 2019. Iffat said, "NJCDC's Ivy League Tour was the first—and only—time I visited Yale. I wasn't really interested in Yale beforehand, but being on campus made me feel differently. As soon as I walked into Yale's library, I fell in love with the school. That plus our engaging tour guide and the overall energy of the campus really made Yale my dream school."

Iffat is also a Student Ambassador at NJCDC's Full Service Community School at JFK. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Iffat was also a frequent participant at our Great Falls Youth Center, located right next to her high school. She's also been active in our Compete for Life college and career readiness program at JFK, tutors students at Paterson Public School #2, is captain of her school's Robotics Team, and is an Upward Bound student at Ramapo College.

When asked what motivates her, Iffat said, "Mostly I just genuinely enjoy everything that I do! Participating in these activities, engaging with my community, and working hard towards making an impact give me a sense of purpose, and I have a genuine passion for all of it." She continued, "My family is also a big motivating factor. I want to be successful and get a good job."

Iffat is also thankful to NJCDC, saying, "I'm so grateful to NJCDC for giving me experiences—especially the Ivy League Tour—which I wouldn't have otherwise had!"

Nicole Sweeney, Site Coordinator of Full Service Community Schools at John F. Kennedy Educational Complex, said, "The Full Service Community Schools at JFK would like to congratulate Iffat Aniqua on her acceptance into Yale University. When Iffat served as the FSCS Student Ambassador President during the 2019 - 2020 school-year, we knew she would do phenomenal things for her school community. From designing the program's first logo to recruiting students to the program, Iffat had become one of our stellar student leaders. We are very proud of Iffat and all that she's accomplished. We are confident that she will continue to do great things in her life and within her community. Congratulations, Iffat!"

David Gelman, NJCDC's Interim Chief Program Officer, said, "We are so proud of Iffat and her family on her success. We have seen her continue to grow as a hard-working, ambitious, and vocal youth leader in her community, and are excited for what comes next. NJCDC takes such pride having the opportunity to expose Iffat and her peers to Ivy League campuses, where previous notions and goals become realities. Congratulations to Iffat, and we look forward to cheering on your many achievements!"

NJCDC CEO Bob Guarasci said, "Iffat is the sixth PYC member to be accepted to an Ivy League school since we started our Ivy League Tour back in 2017! Our goal at the time was not just to help make college a reality for Paterson high school students, but also to show them that no school—not even Harvard, or Yale, or MIT—was off-limits to them. It's clear our students have taken that message to heart, and we can't wait to see what they do next. Congratulations, Iffat—on our next Ivy League Tour, you'll be one of the college students our youth see on Yale's campus!"