A Birkin bag, a zippy Maclaren or a Kiton suit may be luxuries for a few, but for many young teens growing up in the mainland shadow of uber-wealthy Palm Beach Island, a second pair of shoes, a hot dinner and a free SAT prep class is the ultimate luxury. And yet, for years, there has been a systemic void in preparing students at local public schools that lack a challenging curriculum of AP classes and extra resources to help tip the scales of the dreaded standardized tests. Enter Christine Sylvain, a native New Yorker and Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker, who in 2017 launched the foundation Path to College. Suddenly, it’s game on.
Based in West Palm Beach, Path to College has awarded hard-working, low-income students with academic fellowships that prep and guide them for admittance into top schools without crippling student-loan debt. The results have been nothing short of remarkable, with 60% of Path to College students qualifying for Florida’s Bright Futures scholarships, 70% garnering full-ride offers and 75% accepted to top-tier institutions, including Harvard. “We all can raise our expectations about what talented kids from poverty can achieve once given the chance,” said Sylvain. “We should not expect or accept lower performance just because a student comes from a low-income community.”
As the daughter of a Haitian immigrant, Sylvain was raised with the understanding that great achievement is usually born out of great sacrifice. At a young age, her father made a grand wager: He left his home country to study in the U.S. with the caveat that if his grade marks fell, he would join the military and serve in the Vietnam War. Sylvain’s father received his education and went on to a highly successful career in engineering, including a contract at the Pentagon. Her father’s best friend joined Vietnam and never came home. It’s a story that Sylvain was told numerous times and has propelled her to push forward with her own education. In fact, Sylvain received her masters at New York University before moving back to South Florida, where she had completed an undergraduate degree at Florida Atlantic University on full scholarship. Sylvain taught in the English department at a Title 1 high school, dedicating extra hours to teach creative, non-fiction writing with her students. That’s where her idea of Path to College began to germinate. According to Sylvain, “The ‘college is for everyone’ theory receives criticism, but for people coming from low-income households, higher education provides the clearest and most direct path to escaping the poverty cycle.”
Today, Sylvain’s non-profit draws from almost a dozen schools throughout Palm Beach County. “I have gained so many opportunities from Path to College that allowed me to be accepted to Cornell,” said one recent fellow. “When I started in this program, I was at a 1230 on my PSAT, but with the SAT prep the program provided, I brought my score up to 1420. I don’t think my essays would have been strong enough if Ms. Christine and Ms. Lisa had not read them all.”
To date, Sylvain’s foundation has received generous grants and financial support from organizations like United Way, NextEra and Office Depot and hundreds of individuals who understand the importance of Path to College. “For every dollar donated, we generate six dollars of value,” said Sylvain. But Sylvain is not done — she plans to expand with programs for younger children and those already in college. She also provides free test prep to the community at large in libraries and other public spaces. “I take my own advice to heart — don’t stop until you reach your personal best.” Clearly, she’s aiming for that perfect score.
To learn more about Christine Sylvain and Path to College, please visit pathtocollege.org.