2022 New York FAFSA Challenge Winner: True North Rochester Prep School

Jul 19, 2022 | Blog

In a weekly series, Ed Trust–NY will highlight New York FAFSA Challenge Winners for the 2021-2022 school year and the promising strategies they used to support more students to complete the FAFSA.

True North Rochester Prep School tailored FAFSA support for students by offering three in-person FAFSA sessions and one-on-one zoom sessions for families. The school also has included FAFSA completion in its college readiness course, which meets three times per week. Throughout the pandemic, the school has focused on building counseling relationships over two years so students and families work with the same college counselor for junior and senior years, allowing a longer runway and additional support in completing the FAFSA. The team tracked FAFSA completion throughout the year.

Lyshon, who will receive the FAFSA Challenge scholarship, is a top scholar who is attending the University at Buffalo. He plans to study biological sciences and he looks forward to working to complete high leverage research that will change lives. Lyshon designed and executed the school’s first ever large-scale Hispanic Heritage celebration. During his time at Rochester Prep, Lyshon was a member of Mock Trial and Drama Club. He also worked in the community at Kodak Theater and The Community Place of Rochester and is an Urban League Black Scholar and a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.