‘I feel more prepared.’ Students are never alone with these three mentoring groups

not only are we able to share the resources that we are so lucky to have, we’re also able to have the opportunity to experience things that we may not otherwise experience in a way that will push us to give others those same opportunities.”

When looking back on his journey, Breakthrough Miami alum Darren Printemps said: “For the past 10 years as a scholar who became a volunteer and subsequently, a teaching fellow, Breakthrough Miami has provided the leadership, guidance and access to resources that many kids in my community couldn’t tap into.

“I saw myself in those who were mentoring me, teaching with passion and humility. It’s what inspired me to want to become an educator.”

Printemps, who was raised in Miami Gardens, is now pursuing his degree in education so he can return to the classroom as an elementary education teacher.

In 2020, Breakthrough Miami was recognized for outstanding virtual programming during the pandemic and was awarded the “Innovation in Distance Learning Award” by the Florida Education Foundation. Also in 2020, of the 300 Gates scholarships awarded nationally, three were awarded to

Breakthrough Miami scholars.

Encouraging high school scholars to volunteer at middle school sites fosters the service leadership program.

From a humble beginning serving 40 students at one site, the organization now serves 1,300 students across six sites — Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, Gulliver Prep, Miami Country Day School, Palmer Trinity School, Ransom Everglades School and the University of Miami.

A partnership with Florida International University introduced a new summer STEAM program for high school students in collaboration with Florida International University’s Miami Beach Urban Studios. Now in its sixth year, it is a unique introduction to 3-D printing and design.

Founded in 1991 as Summerbridge Miami, an embedded service-learning model initiated by Ransom Everglades School faculty member Joe Mauro, and Ransom alumni John Flickinger and Doug Weiser, Breakthrough Miami is one of the largest affiliates within the national Breakthrough Collaborative of 25 affiliates.

“Breakthrough Miami is, as its name implies, a true breakthrough, advancing opportunity for highly motivated students from traditionally marginalized communities,” said Erin Kobetz, vice provost for research at the UM Miller School of Medicine.

“I feel honored to engage with Breakthrough as a donor, partner, and parent of a teaching fellow. My son, Max, was transformed by his involvement in the program and his students, especially. Breakthrough gave him real world insight into educational inequities and his ability to be an agent of change as a mentor and advocate.”

For Chiyle Briggins, a Breakthrough Miami scholar alum and undergrad at Florida A&M University, the group was also a major source of support for the college application process during the pandemic.

“Despite everyone and everything being virtual, Breakthrough made sure we had access to valuable ACT/SAT test prep resources, and they always notified us of important scholarship opportunities,’’ he said. “They were consistently one step ahead of us and when I wasn’t dreaming big enough, my site director challenged me to pursue some of the more competitive financial aid opportunities.

“As a result, I applied and was awarded a four