We’re building better futures for students. Would you like to be a part of it?
The Collegiate Directions Scholars Program truly changes lives. Our Scholars receive countless hours of tutoring and college counseling, admissions guidance, continued support through college, and more—completely free of cost to them. These are students who thought that college was only a dream, and are now going on to graduate and begin professional careers.
None of this would be possible without the help of our amazing donors. The support we receive for the Scholars Program makes it possible for these students to reach for opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have. The positive effects this has on students, their families, and the communities they live in are humbling and gratifying.
Would you like to learn more about how you can support the CDI Scholars Program? Get in touch with one of our team members; they would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you for considering this wonderful chance to make college graduation happen for CDI Scholars!
SUCCESS STORIES
Mauricio Novoa
Wheaton High School, Class of 2010
Gettysburg College, Class of 2014
“As far as I knew, I couldn’t afford to go to college anyway because we didn’t have any money.”
Merab Okeyo
Walter Johnson High School, Class of 2007
University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Nursing, Class of 2012
“I knew that … everyone at CDI was willing to go the extra mile to help me. I could not have done this by myself.”
Wendy Ayala
Wheaton High School, Class of 2011
University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Class of 2015
“No one in my family had gone to college and I had the support and the opportunity to go. The staff made me feel like they were happy to have me.”
Our Results
97% of our Scholars will complete college in six years—most will do so in four.
Our Scholars have been accepted at more than 230 selective colleges and universities across the country.
Our Scholars receive an average of $30,000 in grants and scholarships for their freshman year.
The CDI Scholars Program is unique in its depth and breadth, providing a comprehensive and consistent experience for each student. This level of attention creates extraordinary results: 97% of our Scholars will complete college in six years—most will do so in four. Nationally, only 9% of their low-income peers who enroll in college graduate within six years.
Our Scholars have been accepted at more than 230 selective colleges and universities across the country, and receive an average of $30,000 in grants and scholarships for their freshman year. Today, CDI alumni can be found working for a range of organizations, including Google, Teach for America, and the Department of State.
How It Works
THE CDI SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Collegiate Directions has developed a smart, effective model of outreach for first-generation, low-income students who aspire to graduate from college. The current Scholars Program provides a wealth of assistance and fosters a great deal of academic collaboration including:
- Support for Students and Families
- Partnership with High Schools and Community Programs
- Collaboration with Colleges
Support Our Students
Ready to make a big difference in the future of a student? Your gift provides support with everything from personalized mentoring to assistance with the overwhelming fees associated with the college process. The generosity of our donors is changing the lives of these students, giving them chances for the future that will have a positive impact within their families and communities.
Volunteer with CDI
CDI is seeking volunteers interested in supporting our Scholars as they complete college and move into careers. Our volunteer events are held quarterly.
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS
“Intelligence is in abundant supply. Ability is in abundant supply. The difference is opportunity.”
– Sanford Ungar, former president of Goucher College and CDI Trustee
Mary Adams
Sunny and William Alsup
AmazonSmile Foundation
Glenna and Hans Andersen
Anonymous Donor 1
Anonymous Donor 2
Joanne and Henry Asbill
Susan and Robin Baker
Rita Bamberger
Bank of Georgetown
Teresa Barger and Travis Brown
Helen and Brendan Bechtel
Nina Beck
Laura and Brad Belt
Rosanah and Jackson Goodwin Bennett
Carol Black
Meghan and Patrick Bracewell
Sarah and Winthrop Brown
Alice Brown Leiter and Michael Leiter
Denise and John Buchanan
Jennifer Burka
Maria and Robert Burka
Catherine and Robert Butz
Tami and Jeremy Butz
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
Nancy and Robert Carr
Martha Carr
Rebecca Carr Rizzo and James Rizzo
Mary and Armeane Choksi
Choksi Family Charitable Trust
Citi Foundation
CityBridge Foundation
Clark Charitable Foundation
Dorothea Clark
Susan and Jonathan Colby
Competitor Group, Inc.
Ronya Corey and Devon McFadden
Alexa and Martín Corredera
Laryssa and William Courtney
Covidien
Diane and Paul Cunningham
Julie Davis
Deborah and Hurley Doddy
Dozoretz Family Foundation
Dasha and Damien Dwin
Katherine Earls
Susan and Ashley Ebersole
Carla Elliott-Neely
Ann Marie Etergino and James Paragamian
Reginald Exum
The Family Foundation, Inc.
Blair Farr and Frederic Underwood
Brooke and Eddie Fernandez
Barbara and Ralph Ferrara
Michael and Eileen Fitzgerald
Sheila and James Fleming
Nancy Folger
Elizabeth and Michael Galvin
Carol and Gary Gasper
GDK Holdings LLC
Jane Genster and John Buckley
Elizabeth Gilliam-Hertz and Daniel Hertz
Marilyn and Michael Glosserman
Stephen A. and Diana L. Goldberg Foundation
Elizabeth Gould and Jonathan Gould
Philip L. Graham Fund
C. Boyden Gray
Mae and Ande Grennan
Samantha and Justin Guilder
Robin and Jay Hammer
Paula Leszyk-Haney and Stuart Haney
Kathryn and Michael Hanley
Jeni Hansen
Harman Family Foundation
Deborah Harmon and Robert Seder
Maryanne Lavan and Larry Harris
Frederick Hiatt
Marja Humphrey
Ann Ince-McKillop
Angela and Donald Irwin
Elizabeth and Charles Jacobs
Andrea Kane
Elizabeth Kannan and James Spiegelman
Kapani Family Foundation
Catherine Kaplun
Daniel Katz
Charis and Jeffrey Keitelman
Kathryn Kincaid and Michael Lainoff
Evelyn and Michael Kitay
Alison Kitay and Edwin Numsuwan
Mairzy and Alexander Krulic
Tracy Kyttle
Demetra Lambros and Michael Duffy
Katherine and Richard Lash
Francoise Le Gall and Jeffrey Balkind
Lauralyn and Peter Lee
Samuel Lehrman
Melissa and Thomas Loughney
Ludwig Family Foundation
Blythe and James Lyons
Laura and Michael Manatos
Nina and Jonathan Marks
Jai and Renzo Massari
The Maxon Foundation
Donna and Reginald Mazyck
Cordia McArthur
Medtronic
Judith and Richard Meltzer
Elizabeth and Kenneth Mendez
Jean Middendorf and Garrett Rasmussen
Jill Miller
Katherine and Carter Mitchell
Montgomery County Council
Diane Morris
Annette Nazareth and Roger Ferguson
Melanie and Lawrence Nussdorf
Merab Okeyo
Courtney Clark Pastrick and Scott Pastrick
Jacqueline Perrins
Kara and Joseph Petrosinelli
Timothy Pfeifer
Carolyn Pfeifer
Joseph Pfeifer
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Quadrangle Development Corp.
Ashley and Steven Quamme
Elise Rabekoff and Christopher Gladstone
RBC Wealth Management Foundation
Rice-Cameron Family Foundation Trust
Alicia and Daniel Ritchie
Sharon and John Rizzo
Victoria and Thomas Rollins
Juliet Ronhovde
Heather Ross Ness
Megan and Quinn Rounsaville
Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation
Nisha and DJ Sardella
Laura Sessions Stepp and Carl Stepp
Penelope and Edward Shapiro
Kathryn Sheng
Elizabeth and Robert Shorb
Jean Sipowa
Speyer Family Foundation
Courtney and David Straus
Lila and Brendan Sullivan
Alanna and Ryan Temme
Tori Winkler Thomas
Carol Thompson
Linda Thomsen
Gayle and Joel Trotter
Talhia Tuck and Brenton Diller
Karen and Dana Twible
Beth and Sanford Ungar
Mirko Valdes
Emily and Antoine van Agtmael
Cynthia Vance
Toni and Lee Verstandig
Ellen and John Villa
Claire and Harlow Voorhees
Martha and David Webb
Sharon and Scott Weiss
Andrea and Stephen Weiswasser
Claudia De Colstoun Werebe and Roberto Werebe
Elizabeth and Stephen Whisnant
Greta and Bailey Williams
Kathe and Edwin Williamson Charitable Fund
