<p><span class="p-body">The Career Pathways Bridge Program at the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) creates career-connected pathways to accredited degree programs for high school graduates across under-resourced areas of New York City. Through fully funded associate degrees in Business, Information Systems Management, Liberal Arts, and Hospitality, the program empowers students to launch their career journeys with confidence, credentials, professional networks, and support.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Prior to matriculating into the full-time associate degree program, Bridge students benefit from an integrated experience that includes two courses, a cohort-based college and career readiness seminar, career exploration workshops, community-building activities, paid internships, personalized advising, and peer mentoring.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>T<span class="p-body">his year, the Bridge Program grew more than 109 percent, from 33 students in the 2024 Cohort to 69 students in 2025. </span></p> <p><span class="p-body">The program continues to expand its reach across the city: Bridge students hail from four of the five NYC boroughs, primarily the Bronx (49%), as well as Brooklyn (20%), Manhattan (16%), and Queens (12%). </span></p> <p><span class="p-body">High school representation across Bridge’s student population has also increased significantly, growing from 14 schools in 2024 to 30 schools for the 2025-2026 academic year. The program's growth reflects citywide demand for affordable pathways to college and well-paying careers.</span></p> <p> </p>

<p><span class="p-body">The 2025 Bridge Cohort comprises 69 students, 97 percent of whom graduated from high school this past Spring 2025. Similar to prior years, three percent are returning to education after 1-3  years away, contributing to the group’s diverse perspectives and life experiences. The average age of this year’s cohort is 18, with students ranging from 16 to 22 years old. This cohort reflects nine different native languages, including Spanish, Bengali, and Mandarin.</span></p>

<p><span class="p-body">The 2025 Bridge Cohort brings a wealth of academic, extracurricular, and professional experiences to the Bridge Program. Sixty-nine percent of students completed at least one AP course while in high school, more than 80 percent completed two or more APs, and 38 percent completed one or more college courses. Bridge students earned an average high school GPA of 3.3, demonstrating their commitment to hard work, self-advocacy, and determination.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Beyond the classroom, students have excelled as leaders, innovators, athletes, and artists:</span></p> <ul class='p-list'> <li><p><span class="p-body"><b>Leadership Roles: </b>Students have taken meaningful leadership roles in and out of school. They have served as caretakers for younger siblings, held executive positions in student government, including President and Vice President, and led school clubs as Dance Team Captain and Social Media Ambassador. Many have also volunteered at their churches and mosques and supported peers as tutors.</span></p> </li> <li><p><span class="p-body"><b>Awards and Recognitions:</b> Members of the 2025 cohort have earned distinctions such as the Principal's Honor Roll,&nbsp; Scholastic Gold Key Award for Writing, and Mock Trial Competition Winner.</span></p> </li> <li><span class="p-body"><b>Programs and Certifications: </b>Nine students participated in or are currently participating in full-time apprenticeships through CareerWiseNY. Others have engaged in professional opportunities such as the JPMorgan Chase Emerging Leaders Program and coursework toward a New York State Real Estate License.</span></li> </ul>

<p>The 2025 Cohort is represented across Division of Applied Undergraduate Studies’ (DAUS) Associate Degree Programs: Business (38%), Liberal Arts (16%), and Information Systems Management (20%), and Undecided (26%). The new Hospitality degree program, launching Spring 2026, is expected to draw interest as well.</p>

<p><span class="p-body">Bridge students continue to demonstrate excellence across academics, the arts, leadership, and career development. Below are a few standout accomplishments from current students:</span></p> <ul class="p-list"> <li><p><span class="p-body"><b>Tyrik Anderson </b>(AAS in Information Systems Management)</span></p> </li> </ul> <p><span class="p-body">Tyrik’s essay, “Echoes from Just a Bunch of Bronx Kids,” was accepted for publication in the 2024-2025 issue of West 10th, NYU’s undergraduate literary journal published by the Creative Writing Program.</span></p> <ul class="p-list"> <li><p><span class="p-body"><b>Giavanni Espinal </b>(AAS in Business)</span></p> </li> </ul> <p><span class="p-body">Gio was selected—through a rigorous audition process—to join the NYU Reality Show, where he will collaborate with students across the university to develop and perform a creative production for the NYU community.</span></p> <ul class="p-list"> <li><p><span class="p-body"><b>Noelani Wilkinson</b> (AA in Liberal Arts)</span></p> </li> </ul> <p><span class="p-body">Noelani was accepted to two paid summer fellowships for 2025: one with MIT, focused on grant writing and development, and another with Columbia University, where she peer mentors fellow first-generation college students.</span></p> <ul class="p-list"> <li><p><span class="p-body"><b>Muhsin Tcheifa </b>(AAS in Information Systems Management)</span></p> </li> </ul> <p><span class="p-body">Muhsin secured a paid summer internship with ING Bank, working on cutting-edge banking technology projects with the IT Innovation Team.</span></p> <p> </p>

<p><span class="p-body">Throughout the 2024-2025 academic year, students engaged with a variety of companies and organizations to explore career paths, internships and job opportunities, and workplace culture. Highlights included:</span></p> <ul class="p-list"> <li><p><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><span class="p-body"><b>Wells Fargo:</b> Students heard from a dynamic panel of professionals across departments, including Corporate Finance, Investment Banking, Consumer Technology, and Risk Management, and engaged in a Q&amp;A networking session</span></b></b></b></b></p> </li> <li><p><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><span class="p-body"><b>Deloitte:</b> Students gained insights into the consulting industry and connected with staff from Mergers and Acquisitions, Digital Transformation, Organization Transformation, and Tech Strategy teams to learn about their career trajectories.</span></b></b></b></b></p> </li> <li><p><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><span class="p-body"><b>Recess Grove: </b>At this new creative space in Williamsburg, students participated in hands-on art projects while learning about the founder’s journey to launch a small business.</span></b></b></b></b></p> </li> <li><p><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><span class="p-body"><b>Basta:</b> Students completed the Seekr assessment, a reflective tool that encouraged them to think more deeply about their values, strengths, and long-term career goals.&nbsp;</span></b></b></b></b></p> </li> <li><p><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><b data-rte-class="rte-temp"><span class="p-body"><b>HelloHive</b>: Through an exclusive series of resume workshops, students used HelloHive’s custom resume builder to craft tailored resumes aligned with their interests and experiences.</span></b></b></b></b></p> <p><span style="letter-spacing: -0.32px;"><i>&quot;One thing that stuck with me from Wells Fargo is that careers are never predictable, and every day is different…<b>I learned the importance of adaptability in the work environment.</b>&quot;</i></span></p> <p><span style="letter-spacing: -0.32px;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.32px; font-style: normal;"><i>“Recess Grove <b>enabled me to explore my artistic side. </b>[I recently read about] how creative our brains are without realizing it. Being able to just use your imagination and turn it into something real</i></span><i><br> </i></span></p> </li> </ul>

<p><span class="p-body">Riding on the success of the inaugural Global Field Intensive (GFI) to Jamaica in June 2024, Professor Donna Kelly graciously returned to lead the 2025 GFI, whereby 10 Bridge students spent two weeks in Jamaica, researching tourism, sustainability, and global development.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Three associate degree graduates, now NYU SPS bachelor’s students, are expanding their learning through global experiences:</span></p> <ul class='p-list'> <li><p><span class="p-body">Monet Russell recently returned from London on a GFI to study culinary tourism and hospitality.</span></p> </li> <li><p><span class="p-body">Kevin Danso and Mariam Diakite will spend the Fall 2025 semester studying in Madrid, Spain.</span></p> </li> </ul>

<p><span class="p-body">As of Fall 2025, 20 Bridge students graduated with their associate degrees (87%). By Fall 2026, an additional 27 Bridge students are projected to graduate (a 100% graduation rate for the 2024 cohort). </span></p>

<p><span class="p-body">As the Career Pathways Bridge Program grows, we continue to focus on delivering high-quality academic and career-connected experiences to support long-term student success. In the coming year, we aim to deepen employer engagement, build an alumni support network, and further scale postsecondary pathways at NYU SPS. We’re excited to build on this momentum and support our largest Bridge Cohort as they navigate their journeys from high school to college to meaningful careers.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>