Investing more than just money to help students get ahead

SALISBURY — Headmasters from some of the Tri-state region’s most prestigious private schools mingled with students from Hartford over dinner at The White Hart inn on Wednesday, Oct. 29. 

They were there to celebrate the success of a unique program that helps inner city youth get into and get ahead at some of the region’s most competitive schools. 

Called the Hartford Youth Scholars Foundation (HYSF), the program was cofounded by Salisbury resident  Tom Francoline and his friend Karl Krapek 10 years ago. 

At that time, only four out of every 100 students who enrolled as freshmen in Hartford public high schools  matriculated to  a four-year college, Francoline said in his introduction that evening.

Distressed by the realities behind those statistics, Francoline and Krapek set out to do something about it. And in the process they learned that it takes more than money to help a student succeed.

“We thought we would raise money to pay the student’s tuition and provide transportation,” Francoline said. 

It quickly became clear that emotional support was almost as important as financial aid. 

They made it HYSF’s mission to bring students from different backgrounds to the independent schools and to help them learn the social and study skills that would allow them to succeed. 

That support has become a hallmark of the HYSF program. It is the infrastructure on which the program is built, from the moment a student is selected to be a Hartford Youth Scholar to 10 years later, when he or she graduates from college. HYSF supports the students academically, socially and emotionally  throughout their entire school career. 

Diamonds in the rough

Anthony Byers, HYSF’s co-director, explained how the program operates. Being accepted into the Hartford Youth Scholar Foundation program is an honor that is reserved for students who, at an early age, have already exhibited a strong work ethic. 

The foundation selects students through a rigorous process and then preps them with additional studying.

“We go to every middle school in the Hartford area looking for students who have the grit.” After all, not every preteen wants to give up his or her Saturday mornings and summers to study. 

“We talk to coaches, counselors, pastors. We are looking for those students who are not being challenged by their current level of study and want more,” Byers said. “We are looking for the diamonds in the rough.”

After the potential scholars are identified, Byers said, the next step is to meet the families. 

“We need the parents along for the journey. We need the parental support. We want families who want this opportunity for their children, but don’t know how to go about getting it on their own. We ask them to sign a contract; it’s really a commitment of 10 years.”

The journey begins three summers before the student will enter the ninth grade, and continues several afternoons a week during the school year and on Saturday mornings, as the students make their way through the Steppingstone Academy of Hartford, where they prep before they apply to the prep schools. 

The Steppingstone Foundation in Boston gave HYSF a grant of $275,000 over the first three years to get the program off the ground.

30 are chosen

Garth Adams, the program dean, walks every step of the way with the students. “These are the grittiest, toughest kids I know,” he said. “They work very hard. We are teaching them to question assumptions.” 

From the testimonials of the evening it was clear that HYSF’s goal is to get others to question their assumptions, as well. 

HYSF currently receives 400 nominations for the slots in their program. They will narrow that down to 150 serious contenders — and then they will begin the difficult job of narrowing that pool down to 30 scholars.

Roxanna Miller, co-director of HYSF, spoke about how far the foundation has come.

“When Tom and Karl got involved it was an idea. Now, I could tell you 170 stories of every scholar in our program.

“But,” she said, “it wouldn’t be as compelling as hearing it from them directly.” 

Two HYSF students were there to talk about what the program has meant to them  and how it’s changed their lives. Two more were expected to attend — but had too much homework (an explanation that generated some knowing laughs from the headmasters).

Tahj Michel Herring, a sophomore at Suffield Academy, recalled that, “It was kind of intimidating” to go off to boarding school at the age of 13.

“I was used to seeing my mother every morning before school and I couldn’t imagine starting my day not seeing her. A lot of kids will go to a school like Suffield, Hotchkiss or Taft and crash, but HYSF really supports us. Anthony [Byers] is not just the program director, but he’s my friend. We play basketball in the evenings.”

Amber Gladstone, a junior at Kent School, said, “I can only imagine how different my academic career would have been if I hadn’t become a HYSF scholar.”

Ten years after the start of HYSF, 87 percent of scholars from its first three years are now attending four-year colleges. The retention rates of the program overall are in the 80 to 90 percent range. 

Scott Conners, the HYSF board chair, spoke at the start of the evening and also gave the closing remarks. His message to the independent school administrators in the room was clear. “When you see the quality of the young adults [in our program] you’re going to want what we’re selling.” 

His final words were, “You are not taking a chance — you are making an investment.”

Those attending included Kevin Hicks, head of The Hotchkiss School, Chis Chandler, headmaster  of Salisbury School, Pieter Mulder, head at Berkshire School, and Drew Casertano, headmaster of the Millbrook School.