WHO ARE WE
LEADERSHIP & PROGRAMS
Our leadership established Make Your Name Great to provide help and service to minority high school students in an effort to get them excited about and prepared for higher education. Studies have found that minority students, specifically African American, Hispanic and Latino students, often fall short of college expectations because of poor planning, guidance, funding and life skills. MYNG programming and services provide a blueprint for what can be expected in college, develop students social adaptability through our Life Skill University and educate parents and students on basic budgeting skills, as well as, providing financial resource information for college.
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Gina Gipson, JD has been leading Make Your Name Great for 13 years and counting. A first-generation college student that graduated from both college and law school, Gina Gipson is committed to assisting minority students with college access for graduation success. To learn more about our Executive Director, Please click below
COLLEGIATE SEMINAR SERIES
During the calendar school year MYNG hosts various programs and Saturday boot camps. The programs and boot camps are an extension of and build on collegiate workshops offered during Summer Academy. Additionally, a number of the programs and boot camps target high school seniors and or their parents in an effort to assist with those critical college application and potential scholarship tasks that need to be completed senior year. MYNG volunteers act as mentors to our students during the calendar school year and have scheduled video conference sessions to monitor college planning, academic progress and to offer support, encouragement and other related resources
SUMMER ACADEMY
MYNG Summer Academy, our signature program, is a one-week college preparatory program offered to high school students entering grades 10-12 for the upcoming school year. Summer Academy has three focus areas: collegiate seminar series, life skill workshops and community service. These focus areas support our mission in empowering a student’s educational, financial and social knowledge to aide in successful matriculation through college. Summer Academy was launched in Atlanta, GA in 2008. Summer Academy received students in Philadelphia, PA in 2010 and in 2015 we conducted a 5 city Summer Academy tour adding Miami, FL, Enterprise, AL and Buffalo, NY. In summer 2016 we added San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA to our roster and in Summer 2021 will add Oakland, CA to the roster.
COLLEGIATE BUDDY
MYNG Collegiate Buddy Program is an opportunity for program participants to be mentored by collegiate students. This letter writing and email campaign is designed to build relationships between the collegiate students and program participants that will encourage and enhance the participant’s knowledge of collegiate life. The buddy program will be an effective way of bridging the gap between the concept and reality of higher education. When applicable, MYNG Collegiate buddies will be encouraged to attend programs to share their experiences.
LIFE SKILL UNIVERSTY
Studies have found that there are an alarming number of minority students that drop out of college as a result of underdeveloped non-academic abilities (life skills) such as social skills, study habits, time management and diversity challenges. To help circumvent this issue MYNG has developed Life Skills University, which is a boot camp designed to introduce, support and strengthen student development in these areas. Life Skill University workshops include but are not limited to, Time Management, Public Speaking, Diversity 101, Conflict Resolution, Networking, Social and Emotional Wellness and Branding.
MYNG Community Warriors Program is designed to demonstrate to students the importance of their contribution to their communities. By volunteering their services, students will be encouraged to recognize the problems in their communities, and provide assistance to those problems, while building a strong sense of leadership and people skills. MYNG team members and community volunteers will work to instill the value of giving back in students at the high school level in an effort to help them continue the same practices at the collegiate level.
COMMUNITY WARRIORS
JOB SHADOW
MYNG Job Shadow program entails students shadowing a professional for a full or half workday. Our mission encompasses high school students transitioning directly from high school to college. As such, this type of opportunity allows students to gather information on a particular career path or occupation which helps them in choosing target areas of study in college. MYNG will hold a workshop prior to Professional Career day to assist students in relating their career day experience to their classes, career pathways, related skill requirements, and post-secondary education options.