Colby-Sawyer Named Success College by Phoenix Pact
Colby-Sawyer College, a comprehensive college that integrates the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation, has joined The Phoenix Pact, Chicago-based North Lawndale College Prep’s $18 million scholarship program to help the charter school’s low-income minority students graduate from college.
The Phoenix Pact allows qualifying NLCP graduates to attend approved colleges where they are most likely to succeed rather than just the schools they can afford. Colby-Sawyer’s track record of graduating minority students and its commitment to keeping loan costs manageable has distinguished it as one of the Phoenix Pact’s “Success Colleges.”
Named after NLCP’s mascot, the mythical phoenix that is reborn from its own ashes, the program is a three-way partnership between students who commit to graduate high school with a 3.0 GPA or higher; colleges that ensure at least half their minority students earn a degree; and the Phoenix Pact Fund, which will cover any financial gap between the cost of attendance and available financial aid. Of the 15 colleges that have signed the pact, Colby-Sawyer is one of only three outside the Midwest.
Colby-Sawyer first established a relationship with NLCP through the college’s Progressive Scholars Program in 2009. Lanell Johnson ’19 will be the first student to attend Colby-Sawyer through The Phoenix Pact; he’ll arrive this fall to study psychology. He is among more than 40 of NLCP’s graduates to receive scholarships from the program in its inaugural year.
Colby-Sawyer Director of Admissions Anna Miner, who had previously met Johnson, was in Chicago to celebrate his achievements and the program’s kick off in May. Much like Colby-Sawyer’s Capstone experience, NLCP students conduct yearlong research projects and present their work to the community. Miner attended the senior colloquium, during which Johnson spoke about his research on how the definition of family has changed throughout history.
During the colloquium, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the Phoenix Pact with NLCP President John Horan. After revealing that more than $18 million had been raised to fund the program, Horan presented a video that featured Colby-Sawyer and two other Success Colleges. Miner and Johnson, along with other students and representatives of their chosen schools, were welcomed to the stage with applause.
“Signing on with The Phoenix Pact deepens Colby-Sawyer’s collaborations with other schools,” says Miner. “It enhances our commitment to making education accessible to deserving students.”
- Jaclyn Goddette '16
Jaclyn Goddette is an intern with Colby-Sawyer's Office of College Communications.
About Colby-Sawyer College
Colby-Sawyer College is a comprehensive college that integrates the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. The College's faculty, staff and students strive for excellence in an engaged teaching and learning community that fosters students' academic, intellectual, and personal growth. With a strong emphasis on learning outcomes, including breadth and depth of knowledge, self-growth, creative and critical thinking, and effective communication, Colby-Sawyer prepares students to thrive post-graduation and make a positive impact upon a dynamic, diverse, and interdependent world.
Founded in 1837, Colby-Sawyer is located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. Learn more about the College's vibrant teaching and learning community at www.colby-sawyer.edu.
