Towne Salute Meet

Mid-Shore Scholars

How the nonprofit helped two local cousins attend prominent east coast colleges

By Amelia Blades Steward

Naiset Perez and Sheily Bartolon-Perez, first cousins who live in Easton, have a great deal in common. Both are students from Easton High School (EHS), and both chose to participate in Mid-Shore Scholars (MSS), becoming first-generation college students in their Guatemalan families.

Although Sheily paved the way to college for her cousin Naiset, it was Naiset who introduced the two to Mid-Shore Scholars (MSS), a local nonprofit dedicated to helping high school students on the Mid-Shore fulfill their life goals. Naiset recalls, “I heard about the program in my AP Spanish class while in 11th grade. I had just begun my college search and the process was daunting.”

Sheily, who was in the 12th grade at the time, was deep into her college applications when Naiset introduced her to the program. She adds, “I was starting with my college applications the fall of my senior year and was overwhelmed with the process. I was unsure that I could commit to the program because at the time I had a job on Saturdays to build up my college funds, the same day that some of the MSS workshops were held.” “I decided, however, that I wanted to make my education a priority and joined.”

For Sheily, MSS changed the trajectory of her life. She had initially thought she would attend Chesapeake College and transfer to a four-year college for nursing after getting her associate degree. Instead, she was introduced to Towson University and Washington College on college visits organized by MSS.

She ended up selecting Washington College which gave her a full scholarship through its Scholar’s Program and she has completed her fourth semester there. Although the pandemic changed her college experience in the past year, she currently maintained a 4.0 average.

While at EHS, Sheily’s cousin, Naiset, began taking dual enrollment courses at Chesapeake College the summer of her sophomore year. She completed her associate degree before she graduated from high school last June.

When Naiset reached 12th grade, she was exploring colleges closer to home, including Georgetown University. It was a friend in her AP Spanish class who had recently gotten into Dartmouth that made her realize schools like Dartmouth could be attainable. Dartmouth also had a Latin American Studies Department, which interested her. She applied to Dartmouth, University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore, through the QuestBridge Scholarship Program, a program that helps academically-strong, low-income, first-generation college students. Naiset received a four-year QuestBridge Scholarship to attend Dartmouth College, her first choice.

“One of Easton’s young people has earned a full ride to an Ivy League education and has done so against significant odds. We are extremely proud of Naiset, of our staff, and of the village of support around her that has made her dream of attending Dartmouth a reality,” comments Vivian Landau, newly-retired Executive Director of Mid-Shore Scholars, which together with Talbot Mentors, helped to shape Naiset’s life choices.

“This illustrates the impact that the Mid-Shore Scholars program and the Talbot Mentors organization is having on young people and their families in our community. We aspire to remove the barriers to success for the children we serve.”

In her college essay, Naiset wrote, “My parents worked tirelessly from sunrise to sunset, all the while pushing me excel in academics and to realize the empowering ability that comes with being bilingual…I’ve translated, but I strive to do more, to connect. Realizing my dream of becoming an immigration attorney will be my opportunity to go beyond English words on paper and the translated documents. I’ll be able to understand, to feel the shared lived experiences, to be that guiding hand my family never had.”

Both Naiset and Sheily recall their mothers crying when learning of their daughters’ accomplishments –happy about their decisions, proud of their hard work to get there, and relieved about the financial assistance that would be there to help pay for their educations.

“In addition to the students, we work with the students’ families, explaining the obligations of the program and the students’ contract with MSS. We want the students to feel that they have a second supportive family in us. We all work together toward the student’s success,” Landau says.

Beyond the academic assistance offered by the program, MSS offers high school students such life skills as budgeting and networking—topics that might not be covered in the academic setting.

“I do not doubt that both of these young women will do great things; they have a zest to learn and do well,” Landau adds.

“Mid-Shore Scholars has been a great support system for us and a wonderful network of people, expanding our circle of contacts,” Naiset reflects.

Both Sheily and Naiset are paying it forward what they have gotten from MSS by being tutors two days a week in a pilot program (Lit Squad) through Talbot Mentors which helps elementary school students with their reading literacy skills. MSS also started a Math Squad in March 2021.

In 2021, Mid-Shore Scholars fully integrated with Talbot Mentors, helping to mentor and serve students in elementary school through college and/or higher education. There are 37 students currently enrolled in the Mid-Shore Scholars Program. The current seniors in the program have been accepted to Salisbury, Washington College, University of Texas (two different Texas universities), and Towson. Meanwhile, there are nine active college scholars, five of whom are on full scholarship.

“Our program doesn’t stop when they get into college. We want them to graduate from college. It is especially important for first-generation college students because their drop-out rates are high. When they hit stumbling blocks, we are there for them. We hope that after graduation many will return to Talbot County and pay it forward showing other kids that college can be in their future also,” Landau says.

Applications to the program and donations to Mid-Shore Scholars can be made through its website midshorescholars.org.

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