For nursing major Destiny Egbuda, Promise Year gave her more than free college credits. Her participation in the program gave her a built-in cohort of friends on campus, a dedicated team to turn to for support and opportunities to speak publicly on the benefits of Early College programs in Massachusetts.
Destiny’s road to higher education included obstacles that could have discouraged a less determined student. A first generation college student originally from Nigeria, Destiny is one of four children in her family. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted her first year of high school, leaving her with plenty of catching up to do to succeed in college.
“I rave about Promise Year. Having a cohort means you have 20 friends with you, and it makes such a difference,” she said.
When Destiny was an Early College student, Salem State Promise Year students visited to talk about their experiences in the program. While she thought about starting at Salem State and then transferring somewhere farther from home, “now I love it… once you get involved, it really becomes your home.”
The built-in support of Promise Year also helped Destiny’s academic planning. While she started out considering a double major in biology and psychology, she wasn’t entirely sure if that was the right path. Sitting down with her Promise Year advisor helped her weigh different options based on her career goals. “Promise Year is that extra support that helped me to figure out how I wanted the next four years to go,” she remembered.
In addition to her involvement on campus as a Student Government Association senator, a peer tutor and a member of Program Council, Destiny has also helped advocate for Early College as an Early College Student Policy Fellow. In her role, she spoke about her experience on a panel with President John Keenan at the State House.
For students considering Promise Year, Destiny says, “Just do it! There are so many benefits. I was nervous at first, but it has made such a difference.”