by Anaiya Neal
This piece is part of the Detroit Journalism Summer Camp, run by The Detroit Writing Room in partnership with Planet Detroit.
It’s easy to feel lost when you’re a student expected to figure out everything on your own.
Without someone to guide you, the pressure of big decisions like where to attend college can be overwhelming. Even once students get on campus, many struggle and find themselves dropping out of college.
According to an Education Data Initiative report, full-time undergraduate freshmen had a dropout rate of 22.3% between fall 2022 and fall 2023.
That’s where Ready, Set, Success comes in. Detroit natives Rasiah Worthy and Sara Collins created the nonprofit in November 2023 to, as the name suggests, set students up for success and help them navigate the transitions between middle school, high school and college. The Detroit-based organization does this by hosting college panel discussions as well as offering mentorship opportunities and educational outreach programs.
“We want to plant that seed (for academic success) early, whether that’s for high school or college,” Worthy says.
Since launching, they have mentored over 200 minority students while visiting schools and hosting events. In addition to Metro Detroit, Ready, Set, Success serves students in Washington D.C. and Atlanta, home to several historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs.
According to a 2024 report by the Schott Foundation for Public Education, more Black students are graduating from high school, but fewer are attending college.
Ready, Set, Success aims to help increase the graduation rates and encourage students to achieve college goals.
Programs like Ready, Set, Success also show how community service can play a powerful role in shaping youth for their future. The organization has held events including hygiene drives and a holiday gift drive in partnership with The Lawn Academy, a nonprofit that develops youth leadership while providing free lawn care for seniors.
“Giving back has always been at the forefront of my mind,” says Detroit resident Mariama Stewart, an ambassador of Ready, Set, Success. Stewart, 21, attends Spelman College and serves as an ambassador to mentor the younger generation and be a guide for those who need it.
For students who may have no idea what’s next for them, the program gives them an opportunity to make connections and explore options. They can get information from professionals who live the lives they are working toward and give them direction on how to work toward greatness.
“I was blessed to have a village, and I want other Metro Detroit students to feel that way as well,” Worthy says.
The 21-year-old Detroiter is a Cass Technical High School alum and currently studies media, film, and journalism at Howard University.
Collins, also 21of Detroit, graduated from Renaissance High School. She currently studies political science at Spelman College.
“(We have) an overwhelming feeling of joy and support from our community and (a) willingness to give back,” Collins says.
Programs like Ready, Set, Success help remind students that they are not alone and their future may be scary, but it is OK to take a leap of faith.
Anaiya Neal is a rising senior at Cornerstone Lincoln King High School. Her passion for journalism comes from the way it allows her to be creative and give a voice to stories that often go unheard. She hopes to share her own journey, amplify others’ and become the person God has called her to be.