Opening Doors and Expanding Horizons

Watch our Ivy League Tour Video Recap

View our Ivy League Tour Photo Album

At NJCDC, college readiness is not an abstract goal — it’s a daily, deliberate effort to ensure that young people in Paterson have the exposure, guidance, and confidence to pursue higher education at the highest levels. One of the most powerful expressions of that commitment is our annual Ivy League Tour, which returned this spring for its eighth year.

On April 8–9, more than 40 students from across NJCDC programs — including the Paterson Youth Council, Great Falls Youth Center, and our Teen Centers — traveled to Cambridge, Boston, and New Haven to visit Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Yale University. Over two packed days, students explored campuses, connected with NJCDC alumni, and came away seeing themselves in places that had once felt out of reach.

Up Close at Harvard

The trip began early Wednesday morning, as students departed NJCDC headquarters and headed north to Harvard University. After lunch and a visit to the campus bookstore, the group toured Harvard Yard with guides from the Crimson Key Society, learning about both the university’s history and the rhythms of student life.

A highlight of the visit came during a meet-and-greet with NJCDC alumni now studying at Harvard where senior Isabella “Issa” Gonzalez and first-year student Salman Chowdhury spoke with the group. Both offered perspective on their journeys from Paterson to Cambridge and fielded students’ questions about college life. Raised and educated in Paterson public schools, Issa shared her experience with a sense of purpose and pride, noting that her work at Harvard has stayed rooted in communities like the one she grew up in. As she put it, “We work with communities similar to Paterson here in Boston — like Roxbury, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain.”

She also encouraged students to take full advantage of the college experience and not rush the process. “Your late teens and early twenties are a time to figure out who you are,” she told them. “I’m really grateful I didn’t rush — I had time to grow, make mistakes, and just be young.”

For many students, that message landed immediately. Mireya Quispe of College Achieve Paterson shared that “being able to see everything up close made me want this for myself,” adding that the experience “helped me expand my vision beyond our city and pushed me to not only dream bigger, but also put in the effort to make it happen.”

Moments like this — where students can hear directly from someone who has walked a similar path — are central to the purpose of the tour. As NJCDC’s Chief Program Officer David Gelman put it, “they don’t just hear that it’s attainable — they see it for themselves,” a shift that can redefine what students believe is possible.

The day concluded with dinner and a walk through Boston’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace — a chance to decompress and begin absorbing everything they had taken in.

A Path from Paterson to MIT

Thursday morning brought the group to MIT, where students toured campus and participated in an information session hosted by the Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES) program.

They also met with NJCDC alum Elisha “Eli” Aranobar, who offered a candid look at his journey from Paterson to MIT. Reflecting on his decision to apply, Eli shared that “MIT was always near the top of my list, but I wasn’t sure if I should apply,” adding that “when I got accepted, I was honestly surprised — and really excited.” He told students, “I’m glad I took that chance, because I feel like I’m growing a lot here.”

That message — about taking chances even in the face of uncertainty — resonated with many in the group. Nazib Hossain, a junior at PCTI, reflected that the trip helped him broaden his own thinking, noting that “I only had one college in my mind to apply to before this trip, and now I have a few more I’m considering,” and that hearing directly from current students “made it even more real.”

For Rafan Rahman of JFK High School, the experience also carried a sense of responsibility. He noted that “I learned a lot from this trip, and I’m excited to bring that back to the students I mentor,” adding that it will help him “support and motivate them” in his work with peer tutoring and robotics.

Final Stop: Yale — and a Lasting Impression

The tour’s final stop brought students to Yale University, where they arrived in the afternoon for a campus tour and exploration of student life. From the architecture of the campus to the dining hall that inspired scenes from the Harry Potter films, students were struck by both the history and atmosphere of the university.

They also had the chance to meet Handsome Dan, Yale’s iconic live mascot — a moment that added a sense of excitement to an already memorable day.

But beyond the landmarks, students were also paying close attention to the culture of the campus itself. Samiya Ahmed of PCTI shared that “even though it’s an Ivy League school, I expected they would have super rigorous coursework, but it was actually more laid back and creative,” a realization that helped reshape her perception of what these institutions are like.

For Lamiya Mouli, the visit carried deeper meaning. “Growing up, Yale and Harvard felt like dream schools I never thought I’d get to see in person,” she said, adding that “this was my first time visiting Ivy League schools, so it was a really special experience for me.”

And for Eastside High School student Carla Pacheco, the trip was as much about self-discovery as it was about exploration. She described it as “an amazing way to branch out and figure out what kind of environment fits you best,” noting that seeing students from Paterson already attending these schools showed that “there’s always a future ahead, no matter where you come from.”

What This Experience Builds

Since its launch in 2017, NJCDC’s Ivy League Tour has become a cornerstone of our college-readiness efforts. Each year, it builds on a simple but powerful idea: exposure changes expectations.

As NJCDC Founder and CEO Bob Guarasci reflected, “we created the Ivy League Tour to help our students envision themselves at the very best colleges in the country,” and year after year, “they come away more confident, more curious, and more determined.”

By the time the group returned to Paterson Thursday evening, students carried more than just photos and souvenirs. They returned with expanded horizons, clearer goals, and a stronger sense of what is possible.

For many, that shift — from imagining to believing — is where the journey truly begins.