SPONSOR A Scholar
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Your gift to the Sponsor a Scholar Campaign will provide scholarship funds to support our students in achieving their educational dreams and aspirations. By directly supporting our students, you have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of these talented individuals, helping to shape their futures and foster their potential. Invest in the leaders of tomorrow —your support will turn their aspirations into reality and empower the bright minds of the GCSA Class of 2025!
Sponsors will get annual updates on our campaign scholars, keeping you in the loop on their personal journey through their college years in GCSA. Any funds raised via the Sponsor a Scholar Campaign no longer needed by the students or in excess of their scholarship needs will be used for other student scholarships.
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​You can follow us on Instagram at @gcsa_nyc and visit our LinkedIn Page for exciting content from our ambassadors as we highlight a student every week now through November.
Meet OUR STUDENTS
Mariela Pujols
Senior at New Design High School
Mariela (she/her) is from Ridgewood, Queens, and her birthday is September 18. She aspires to attend Stony Brook University and pursue a career as a Labor and Delivery Anesthesiologist. Mariela has a close relationship with her mentor Cherisse at Penguin Random House, and works with her to set goals and deadlines for herself. She has a passion for listening to Rotten Mango, a true crime podcast that explores recent cases, painting natural scenery as well as watching or listening to musicals such as Beetlejuice, Hamilton, and SIX.
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"GCSA represents community bonding and the importance of teamwork in learning and growing from new experiences. The program has been crucial in teaching me about the college application process, significantly simplifying it."
Brendan Malarkey
Senior at UA Early College HS for Emergency Medicine
Brendan (he/him) is from Staten Island, NY, and his birthday is August 8th. He hopes to attend Stony Brook University and become a Paramedic.
His favorite TV show is Spongebob, and he loves to watch anything animation. he loves to spend time with his family, cook, and try new foods. He works closely with his mentor, Paolo from Penguin Random House, to set goals, research opportunities, and talk about everything and anything.
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"GCSA is more than just a program; it serves as a valuable resource for high school students seeking information about higher education."
Frances Cooke
Senior at East Side Community High School
Frances (she/they) is from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, right by the river, rather than the trendy area often portrayed on TikTok. Their birthday is January 14, 2007. While she doesn't have a dream school, she hopes to pursue a BA in Art History. They met their mentor, Xanthe, on a visit to Penguin Random House and they've been close ever since.
She has a passion for sewing and costume-making, currently working on a Halloween costume as Paul Atreides from Dune, complete with a large sandworm they plan to carry. Their favorite film is a French movie that combines musical numbers, colorful production design, and female leads, though they also appreciate Christine Coulson’s Metropolitan Stories for its whimsical take on art through fictional narratives. ​
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"GCSA has been instrumental not only in preparing me for college and adult life but also in exploring my future goals."
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Ononna Khan
Senior at New Design High School
Ononna (she/her) is from Jamaica, Queens where she was born on November 11. Ononna dreams of attending Vaughn College and becoming a pilot. She is excited an honored to be the first person in her family to pursue a higher education. Ononna is currently a manager of a Burger King at just 17 years old.
Cooking and baking are more than just hobbies for her; they are expressions of her love and care for others. She takes immense joy in preparing meals for her family, eagerly anticipating their reactions and the feedback that helps her improve with each dish. One of her cherished films is Flipped, which brings a wave of nostalgia despite its age, while Modern Family is her favorite show for its relatability and comforting portrayal of family dynamics.
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"I value the GCSA scholarship profoundly, it's a crucial opportunity to pursue my dreams without imposing additional financial strain on my parents."
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Lucas Li
Senior at New Design High School
Lucas (he/him) is from Brooklyn, NY (the best borough in his opinion) and his birthday is November 29th. He hopes to attend Stony Brook University and study psychology.
He loves a good game of badminton with friends and family alike that creates good sportsmanship between players to avoid a negative sports environment. He also loves the complexity of interstellar by Christopher Nolan. He is close to his mentor, Mike Hermann, at Sony Pictures Television and they meet in-person whenever possible.
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"GCSA is the guide that I really didn’t have until I signed up for it, I’ve always wanted someone or something to guide me outside of high school but have always been too shy to speak up."
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Alison Justiniano
Senior at UA Early College HS for Emergency Medicine
Alison (she/her) is from Richmond Hill, Queens, NY, and her birthday falls on February 19th. She is eager to pursue a career in nursing, driven by her desire to be an advocate and provide support that many people lack.
She loves to binge-watch movies and TV shows from her childhood, take any opportunity to hang out with friends during her free time, listen to music—especially R&B—and capture memories by taking pictures when she’s outside with others. One of her favorite movies of all time is Tangled, as it evokes a sense of nostalgia and highlights how Disney portrays princess romance.
"GCSA has helped me in numerous ways, particularly by demystifying the college essay process. While many younger students may feel overwhelmed by the expectations surrounding college essays, GCSA has shown me that these essays can be personal and reflective of who I am as a student."
Nicol Germosen
Senior at UA School for Design and Construction
Nicol (she/her) is a senior at Urban Assembly School for Design and Construction. Her birthday is April 18th. She hopes to attend Columbia University and major in Sociology. Her dream is to become a researcher for social equity, analyzing and improving the social systems that impact low income communities of color. ​She works closely with her mentor, Francisca of SL Green, to assure her preparation for the various programs she participates in such as Questbridge and Double Discovery.
In her free time, Nicol loves to read, cook, and spend time with her family.
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"GCSA has been a wonderful safe space for me to learn about myself and the world around me."​​
Marcin Li
Senior at East Side Community High School
Marcin (he/him) is from the Lower East Side in NYC, and his birthday is September 23rd. His dream school is Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Ideally, in the future, he would work in law because of his interest in history and politics. Combined with his passion for working in law, he thinks it would motivate him to work hard in an area he's truly interested in. He likes to spend his time watching crime or law shows like Suits, Gotham, and his favorite, Brooklyn 99. But sometimes he watches comedy shows like The Big Bang Theory or Modern Family. Outside of shows, he has an interest in history, geography, and politics, mostly involving learning about the 15th up to the 19th centuries.
“I see GCSA as a way to develop myself but also to help relieve some of the burden that me and my family have, that being tuition for expensive (probably) law school.”