Thriving doesn’t come easily and the dedicated board and staff of College Bound have not wavered in supporting our students when they need us most. I hope that you will consider making a tax-deductible end-of-year gift and that you will be inspired to share this with others.  We need YOUR support to sustain and further our impact.

A great reminder of the importance of this work came in the form of an exchange with one of our first-year college students. As he was sharing how he had learned to dive and spearfish, he talked about a shark approaching him. He said, “Mr. Ward, I just poked it because it was a nurse shark and they don’t like to be poked and aren't really dangerous.” Full disclosure: I was mortified at the mere thought. Then, he added that all of a sudden, “...it got dark because a manatee swam overhead.” He was glowing as he shared these new experiences with me. My heart smiled and I thought of all of the work (and your support) that makes for magical moments like these. In front of me was a young man who had a village to support him; he had escaped the rampant gunfire and seemingly endless snares of the DC streets to now dodge manatees and nurse sharks…who could have imagined?

To say that College Bound is working is an understatement. In our 30th year, we are indeed thriving and there’s lots of work still to do. Thank you for your support, large or small; we are exceedingly grateful for all gifts.

​My absolute best,

Kenneth