LUCA’s annual Graduation Celebration is truly one of the most special events that brings together graduating Scholars, their families, college coaches, Board members, elected officials, and friends of LUCA who believe in making college dreams come true!
This year’s Graduation Celebration took place on Saturday, June 14th, and brought together more than 200 attendees with a record-breaking number of Scholars and College Coaches in attendance. Hosted at the beautiful CV Rich Mansion with LUCA flair and decorations, families and attendees were greeted by joyous staff and volunteers who went above and beyond to create an unforgettable celebration.
And celebrate we did! Guests enjoyed a delicious brunch reception followed by a moving program that consisted of a number of surprises and moments of celebration, reflection, and inspiration!
NYS Senator Shelly Mayer and Westchester County Executive, Ken Jenkins, were both in attendance and expressed their unwavering support of our Scholars and their pursuit of higher education.
This year’s celebration was a powerful reminder that Scholars, their families, and their College Coaches are the very heart and soul of
LUCA!
Our Scholar speeches were honest and powerful- touching on the first gen experience and its challenges but filled with hope for what can be achieved through hard work, perseverance, passion, and love.
Melanie U. eloquently put into words what is often experienced by first-generation Scholars, while remaining uplifting and inspiring:
“...Being first means that you do not have a blueprint to follow. You are building a bridge while walking across it… you are choosing to navigate through the complex system of higher-level education. This is a choice you should be proud of because not only are you choosing to earn a degree, you are also choosing to change the narrative. You are choosing to become a bridge that others in your family, community, and future generations can easily walk through because you have made that path possible.”
2025 GRADUATION CELEBRATION HIGHLIGHTS
(Video Produced by Good For You Productions)
Meet Karen: LUCA Scholar Class of 2025
Karen G. is an Ossining High School senior and aspiring environmentalist who will be attending Cornell University in the fall to study Environment and Sustainability. Committed to civic engagement and the arts, Karen has participated in high school programs such as Youth and Government, where she drafted mock legislative bills and presented them at a
statewide conference. She held the position of Vice President of her school’s Feminism Club, leading discussions and organizing events aimed at promoting gender equity.
Karen enjoys playing the violin and expressing herself creatively through visual arts, particularly drawing and painting. With a profound interest in nature and community, Karen aims to pursue a career in Environmental Policy.
As a member of the LUCA Class of 2025, Karen has received invaluable guidance throughout her college journey. During her Grad Celebration speech, Karen emphasized the important role that her college coach, Becky Silverstein, and her community played in her college journey:
“...we were never walking alone. We were surrounded by coaches, mentors, and LUCA staff members who helped guide us through this difficult journey and supported our success.
They gave us the power and strength to overcome our challenges and encouraged us to follow our dreams, no matter how far they seemed.”
Congratulations Karen and the entire Graduating Class of 2025!
An important undertaking that takes place every year at LUCA is the Scholar and Coach match for the incoming cohort of Scholars. We take pride in this process, as we consider a number of factors to ensure the best fit and experience for both our Scholars and their College Coaches- from academic talents, background, personality traits and characteristics, competitiveness of the Scholar’s college list, as well as career goals.
This year, the LUCA team had to ramp up coach recruitment and onboarding efforts as we were tasked with matching the Class of 2026 cohort, which has the highest number of new Scholars from our partner school districts- totaling 113 students!
We are thrilled to announce that we have secured a record number of coaches- 86 coaches in total who have all been successfully matched with the 113 students making up LUCA’s Class of 2026! 44 of the 86 coaches are new to the LUCA family and are bringing new experience, enthusiasm and energy!
Welcome to the LUCA Family!
Director of Programs -
Dr. Pamela Jimenez
Dr. Pamela Jimenez is an experienced higher education leader with a strong background in equity and college access, bilingual program development, and student success initiatives.
Pamela holds an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership with a Social Justice concentration from St. John Fisher College, a master’s in Mental Health Counseling from Pace University, and a bachelor’s in Sociology from the College of Mount Saint Vincent. She also earned a DEI certificate from Cambridge Judge
Business School. A first-generation college graduate, Pamela is driven by a mission to make higher education accessible, inclusive, and transformative for all students.
Director of Development -
Catherine Mason
Catherine Mason is a seasoned non-profit professional with over 20 years of experience in fundraising and event management. Most recently, she led Foundation and Corporate Relations at New York Medical College, playing a key role in strategic decision-making for corporate partners and individual donors.
Throughout her career, Catherine has shown a deep commitment to advancing non-profit missions through thoughtful donor cultivation and engagement. Her ability to build lasting relationships and drive philanthropic growth reflects her passion for creating meaningful impact in the communities she serves.
Learn More about Team Members by clicking below!
We kicked off the month of June with an intimate yet powerful event which took place on June 3th- what has come to be known as “Padres Charla/ Parents Speak” offers a space and opportunity for LUCA parents to come together to receive information and presentations across a range of important topics related to first-generation college access. At LUCA, we recognize that equipping parents with practical information and a supportive environment to navigate this new experience, is a key factor to Scholar success.
This month’s session was titled “Helping Your Student Through College," featured LUCA friend and supporter Elvira Medus, LCSW — a community psychotherapist specializing in compassionate, effective mental health care for
diverse populations.
She graciously facilitated the session and offered parents the opportunity to ask questions, share and address fears and concerns, and ultimately created a safe space for Scholar parents and families to connect and benefit from shared challenges and questions, as well as celebrate the milestone accomplishment- that they are the parent(s) of a child who will be the first in their family to embark on a new college journey!
In celebration of the LUCA Scholar Class of 2025, our Board of Directors has generously launched a $50,000 Bright Futures Matching Gift Challenge—and we have just 30 days to meet it. We invite you to join us in this special challenge.
This means every dollar you give will be matched, doubling the impact of your support.
LUCA | Latino U College Access
75 Virginia Road, 2nd fl. | White Plains, NY 10603
914-828-0404 | www.lucany.org
