RIT welcomes 2015 class of Rochester City Scholars

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Class of students from the 2014 Rochester City Scholars program at RIT.

The newest class of Rochester City Scholars will be welcomed to Rochester Institute of Technology in a ceremony at 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, at Liberty Hill, President Bill Destler’s residence, 2201 Lehigh Station Road, Henrietta.

This year, 18 students from the Rochester City School District will be part of the sixth freshman class entering the program. The students are graduates of East High School, School of the Arts, World of Inquiry, Rochester STEM High School, Rochester Early College International High School, Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School and James Monroe High School.

Candice Baldwin, director of the Multicultural Center for Academic Success at RIT, is thrilled to welcome the sixth cohort of Rochester City Scholars students to the program.

“As part of the MCAS family, each new scholar will receive personalized one-on-one coaching, peer mentoring and access to a wide variety of opportunities on campus. The previous cohorts have shown that they lead from the front not the back, and I look forward to seeing how this cohort will distinguish themselves as scholars and leaders.”

According to the Rochester City School District, financial challenges prevent more than three-quarters of its students from attending college. Nearly 90 percent of the district’s families earn $21,000 or less annually. Recognizing these obstacles, RIT President Bill Destler championed the Rochester City Scholars Program. He and his spouse, Rebecca Johnson, are the founding supporters of this initiative that launched in 2010. The scholarship program, for those meeting eligibility requirements, covers full tuition at RIT for the students.

In July 2014, the Destlers pledged a $1 million endowment to the Rochester City Scholars program to ensure the future of the program.