Stories - CARA

CARA Peer Leaders, interns, alumni, and the practitioners we partner with are at the heart of our work. Their experiences show the power of CARA’s model – how it strengthens school leadership, shapes young people’s career paths, and transforms communities.

Read their Stories

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Bringing CARA’s Whole School Vision to the Big Island with Alana

For 30 years, Alana Haitsuka Fernandez has been working to make sure young people in West Hawaii have the support…
Campus Leader Spotlight: Strengthening Peer Advising at LaGuardia CC

CARA’s work across CUNY is made possible by dedicated campus partners who champion peer leadership every day. One of those…
Growing as a Leader with Jesly

Jesly Vargas is a senior at Hunter College studying human biology. She first became a Bridge Coach in 2021 at…
Handing Students the Flashlight to Navigate College with Manny

After graduating from the Academy of Innovative Technology in 2022, Manny Lugo’s guidance counselor encouraged him to apply for the…
Building Trust and Belonging Through Advising with Lizbeth

Building Trust and Belonging Through Advising with Lizbeth Lizbeth Marte earned her B.A. in Psychology from Queens College and is…
Tapping Into Your Skills and Network with Ian

Ian Genao was a Youth Leader at Central Park East High School ten years ago, where he helped his classmates navigate…
Helping Students Find Their Own Path with Kendra

Kendra Suarez supports young people through the college application process and career preparation as the College and Career Readiness Student…
Helping Students See More Than What They Expect with Lewis

As a high school student, Lewis Nunez was a Youth Leader at Bushwick School for Social Justice. He is currently…
Helping Students Find Their Path with Christi

Christi Ferrer is the College & Career Advisor at Claremont International High School, where she previously worked as a College…

Peer Leadership in Action

The following short video, “Youth Leaders in Action,” features the three main characters of the film at work in their own communities, and demonstrates the power of CARA’s peer-to-peer model.

PERSONAL STATEMENT is a feature-length documentary film that showcases the challenges that young people face who are the first in their family to attend college – and the remarkable potential of peer leadership to address those challenges. Visit www.PersonalStatementFilm.com to learn more.

If you are interested in bringing the full length film to your school or community, you can learn more about how to do so through Good Docs.