It’s the season for college commitments, and high school seniors nationwide are making the challenging but exciting choice of where they want to spend the next four years. One of our community’s scholars at Princeton ArcPrep has a callous choice to make, as they were accepted to both Dartmouth University and Johns Hopkins University!

Princeton ArcPrep is a distinguished program providing Trenton High School students with the opportunity to gain valuable architectural experience. ArcPrep students participate in a semester-long immersive experience course on architecture, urbanism, and integrated design studio practices. Throughout the program, students can learn from experts, take fascinating field trips, and immerse themselves in architecture. More than just an extracurricular activity, Princeton ArcPrep interweaves this learning into participating students’ daily lives and curriculums. As students graduate from the program and transition to college, the ArcPrep team is also available, helping students at every step of their journey.

Princeton ArcPrep aims to diversify the field of architecture by providing comprehensive support, guidance, and academic and cultural enrichment to unrepresented communities. Representation is critical, as many of America’s architectural schools and firms reflect a historic lack of diversity. The ArcPrep curriculum fosters a love of learning in students through a rigorous learning environment. Through these instructions, students are empowered to develop and hone new skills and ascertain the knowledge and awareness necessary for a thriving future career in architecture. The hard work pays off, and now program alums have their sights set on some of the most elite schools in the world.

Program Director Mónica Ponce de León, alongside Program Instructor Jorge Orozco Gonzalez, works tirelessly to provide students with meaningful educational opportunities to elevate them to where they want to be. The ArcPrep program offers participants an incredible network of resources and sets the stage for a prosperous career that may have otherwise been inaccessible. With the institutional support of Princeton University and Trenton Public High School and their partners’ generous support, this team of educators and advocates is changing lives for students’ rights in our community.

One such supporter is Greater Trenton, which prides itself in supporting our community’s scholars. Over the past several years, Greater Trenton utilized funds from PNC Bank Foundation, which granted $50,000 last year, and an additional $50,000 this year, to support Trenton Public Education Foundation’s initiatives to prepare Trenton Central High School students for science-, technology-, engineering-, and mathematics-focused occupations. In addition to supporting the Princeton ArcPrep Program, the funding supports STEM Academy’s Black Seal Certification program, which helps create economic opportunities by promoting advanced career possibilities for Trenton’s youth.

Our hat is off to this exemplary scholar, as well as all of the other talented team of students at Princeton ArcPrep. We do not doubt that the ArcPrep students of today will be the architectural innovators of tomorrow, and we cannot wait to see where this opportunity will lead our community’s youth next.

If you want to read more about the Princeton ArcPrep program and how to get started, please visit their website here: Home – Princeton ArcPrep.

The post Princeton ArcPrep Scholar Accepted to Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins University first appeared on TrentonDaily.