Prep for Prep Students Share Their Experiences at the 2024 LDO Open House

On Tuesday, November 12, Prep for Prep welcomed the Board of Trustees and staff to the 71st Street Brownstone Library for the Leadership Development Opportunities (LDO) Open House. This year’s event marked a return to the library. The evening provided attendees with the chance to hear directly from students about how Prep’s LDO initiatives have supported their passions and shaped their futures.

Prep for Prep’s LDO programming offers a wide range of initiatives designed to support and inspire students, including Entrepreneurship Camp, the Institute for Entrepreneurship, the Leadership and Educational Enrichment Fund (LEEF), Students Advocating for Young Children (SAYC), Aspects of Leadership, Travel Abroad, the Public Policy Internships Project (PPIP), and College Guidance. 

Students shared stories of personal growth, newfound opportunities, and the excitement of pursuing their passions in ways they never imagined possible. LEEF grant recipient Pedro H. (XLII/Avenues) and SIP participant David Pham (XXXVII/Browning ’21, Fordham) spoke about the transformative impact of these programs. “With the opportunity from Prep and the LEEF grant, I was able to elevate my photography…. It gave me the motivation to go to places I had never been before,” Pedro shared. David reflected, “Through the internship program, one experience leads to the next. Prep has been eager to cultivate curiosity in all of us. The post-placement counseling and the rest of what LDO does provide us with tools that allow us to be guided by our curiosity.” This past summer in SIP, David interned at Siguler Guff as a Compliance and Legal Intern. He interned at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP his freshman and sophomore summers.

For many students, LDO programs go beyond personal growth. Students feel compelled to support the community that has been instrumental in their own journeys. Hannah W. (XLI/Dalton), who was first tutored through SAYC and later became a Prep for Prep student, shared, “It was a meaningful experience to give back to the community that first connected me with Prep…. My tutors were fundamental to my educational journey.”

Thank you to all the students who shared their stories: Christiane Calixt (XXXIX/Berkeley Carroll ’23, Columbia), Irene G. F. (XLII/Brearley), Pedro H. (XLII/Avenues), Leena M. (XLI/Brearley), Michael O. (XLIII/Horace Mann), David Pham (XXXVII/Browning ’21, Fordham), Matthew S. (XLI/Trinity), and Hannah W. (XLI/Dalton). Their testimonials are a powerful reminder of the enduring impact of Prep for Prep’s mission to empower and uplift future leaders.