PEP Program

CONGRATULATIONS TO DANTE ARDOLINO!

Dante Ardolino earned a B.S. in Cyberpsychology from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. While at NJIT, he was a Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity member. Dante is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at NJIT. We are so proud of all of our college graduates and send them our best wishes for a bright future!

CONGRATULATIONS TO JULISSA LOPEZ!

Julissa Lopez earned a B.S. in Business Administration and a minor in Marketing from Monmouth University in New Jersey. While at Monmouth, she was actively involved in the university’s student life as a member of the Sports Industry Club, a Club Volleyball player, and a Marketing Communications Assistant in the Athletics Department. Julissa is currently pursuing an M.B.A. at Monmouth University. Stay tuned for one more post about our recent college graduates!

CONGRATULATIONS TO JENNY QIU!

Jenny Qiu earned a B.S. in Marketing and a minor in Chinese from Rutgers University in New Jersey. While at Rutgers, she served as an ambassador in an exchange program. Jenny is pursuing a career in marketing in the technological and pharmaceutical industries. Stay tuned for more posts about our recent college graduates!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ISAIAH SHAKIR!

Isaiah Shakir earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Seton Hall University in New Jersey. While at Seton Hall, he was a member of the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Association and the American Chemical Society Club. His research was featured in the Undergraduate Research Symposium. Isaiah will join Advanced Biotech as a quality control chemist. Stay tuned for more posts about our recent college graduates

CONGRATULATIONS TO ANDY TOXTLE!

Andy Toxtle earned an M.F.A. in Visual Arts and Design from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. While at Rutgers, he interned through the Eleven+ Program and gained two years of teaching experience at GlassRoots in Newark NJ. His senior thesis, “Where the Eagle Rests on the Nopal,” was exhibited at the Rutgers Mason Gross Galleries. Andy is pursuing a career in art education and bringing the arts to underrepresented and marginalized communities. Stay tuned for more posts about our recent college graduates!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ARYEL RODRIGUEZ!

Aryel Rodriguez earned a B.S. in Computer Science and a minor in Educational Studies and Human Computer Interaction from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. While at WashU, he worked as a computer science teaching assistant, advised and mentored new students, and participated in ColorStack and SHPE. He will join Mastercard as a software engineer. Stay tuned for more posts about our recent college graduates!

CONGRATULATIONS TO JOSHUA JIMENEZ!

Joshua Jimenez earned a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Social Work from Montclair State University in New Jersey. While at MSU, Joshua played on the men’s soccer club team. He enlisted in the New Jersey National Guard, where he will pursue studies in helicopter engineering. Stay tuned for more posts about our recent college graduates!

As the school year ends, we have much to celebrate at PEP! Our students have reached academic milestones, actively engaged in the community, and developed career readiness skills. We are now counting down to our year-end celebration. In anticipation of this wonderful event, we will feature our seven college graduates - Dante Ardolino, Joshua Jimenez, Julissa Lopez, Jenny Qiu, Aryel Rodriguez, Isaiah Shakir, and Andy Toxtle - in daily posts leading up to the year-end celebration. Stay tuned!

On May 2nd, PEP SHS Seniors enjoyed a celebratory dinner at LaFocaccia. The discussion focused on transitioning to college and the excitement that entails. Favorite PEP memories of experiences from over the last seven years were shared. It was a fun evening for all. Thank you, La Focaccia, for hosting.

PEP students attended a workshop with Karen Holland at Gifting Sense. They learned about the DIMS (“Does it Make Sense?”) calculator and whether it makes sense to purchase big or small items. The program is designed to teach kids to think before they buy. PEP students in 7th through 10th grades enjoyed the interactive workshop.

https://www.tapinto.net/towns/summit/categories/press-releases/articles/pep-program-announces-new-executive-director-may-1st

PEP Program Announces New Executive Director - May 1st

PEP Students participated in the City of Summit Earth Day Clean-up at Wilson Park.

During spring break our 7th -11th grade students visited Rowan University. They were able to learn about the university, see the facilities, and have lunch at the dining hall.

Congratulations, Ainsley! This past weekend, Ainsley competed with the Summit Speech and Debate team at the State Tournament. She and her partner, finaled and won 6th in New Jersey! They will also be competing this upcoming weekend at districts, and in April, at the Tournament of Champions.

A fun evening at Funplex with PEP students who qualified for Reward Trip by obtaining an 85% overall average for Quarter 2.

For this year's Holiday Party, PEP students enjoyed an evening of fun at Dave & Buster's.

https://www.tapinto.net/towns/summit/sections/education/articles/the-pep-program-is-now-accepting-applications

The PEP Program is Now Accepting Applications The PEP Program -- a college-access program that offers both academic and social-emotional support, and provides college tuition assistance to select students -- is currently seeking eligible and...

This Month our 7th, 8th and 9th grade students volunteered at the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. Students helped package pasta that will then be distributed to individuals and families in need.

PEP held its first Parent Empowerment Series workshop of the year last week. A Higher Education Association Assistance Authority (HESSA) representative from the Stevens Institute of Technology presented a College Admissions Planning workshop to our 11th and 12th grade parents.

The new 7th graders at PEP got the opportunity to visit the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey. This community partnership gives students a chance to take a tour of the current exhibitions and participate in an art class. This experience provides an ideal setting for PEP students to learn, practice, and experiment with new art skills and ideas!

The Summit School District invites all parents to attend the following presentation as part of their Parent Wellness Series. See Below for more information:

The consortium of Berkeley Heights, Chatham, Millburn, New Providence, and Summit school districts invites you to attend the next event in the Parent Wellness Series: Crazy Stressed, Saving Today’s Overwhelmed Kids with Love, Laughter, and the Science of Resilience. This presentation is on Wednesday, November 1, at 6:30 p.m. in the Chatham Middle School auditorium.

Congratulations to our 11th grade student, Catalina Zumbado, on helping her team secure the victory and the program's First-Ever Union County Crown!

Zumbado's OT Strike Gives Summit High School Girls Soccer 1-0 Victory Over Oak Knoll, Program's First-Ever Union County Crown CLARK, NJ - Junior Catalina Zumbado scored three minutes into overtime, and the third-seeded Summit High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team defeated Oak Knoll 1-0 at AL Johnson High School. The...

Two PEP seniors have earned Advanced Placement Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP Exams for the 2022-23 school year. The AP Scholar Awards are granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. Congratulations to Randy and Maria on their exceptional academic achievement!

Despite a rainy afternoon, students were able to enjoy their first day of PEP with a special treat from Pizza Vita.

We are excited to welcome back our students for the 2023-2024 school year!

On August 29, 2023 our 7th grade students attended our Annual Leadership Retreat . This year Camp Mason hosted us for a day full group bonding activities in which our students were able to think outside the box, share ideas, push themselves out of their comfort zone all while encouraging their peers.