Women in Economics Help to Plant the Seeds of Fortune

Applying to college under normal circumstances is stressful enough. Pile on family financial struggles, lack of resources, and the inability to visit campuses due to the pandemic, high school students have found it even more difficult to navigate the daunting task of college preparation.

Thanks to the New York City based scholarship and EdTech platform, Seeds of Fortune, the organization is financially empowering young women of color by helping them apply for college scholarships and grants, as well as teach financial literacy. And this year, the Seeds of Fortune is collaborating with the Yale Women in Economics for the 2021 Scholars program to expand its reach. Nitiya Walker, Seeds of Fortune founder, contacted Women in Economics last fall about forming a partnership.

“Our club’s goals of championing opportunities in economics education for women and minorities overlap with the goals of Seeds of Fortune, so we were very excited to work with Nitiya and her program,” said Women in Economics member Naasey Kanko Arthur ‘21.

To empower the next cohort of young professional women of color, Yale undergraduate students and guest professors will mentor seven to ten high school students, and host a residential overnight and admission visit this summer.  Women in Economics will help facilitate the visit by developing the curricula for the program and manage logistics for the visiting students.

“We are also connecting Yale undergraduate students who are interested in mentorship and teaching with Seeds of Fortune to be mentors for the high school scholars,” said Arthur.

During the high school students’ stay, the Yale mentors will oversee and offer guidance on the students’ research projects, help in applying for college scholarships, and teach career, financial, and management skills. ”Most of all, we are looking forward to building relationships with the participants that extend beyond the program.”

Women in Economics is now accepting applications for undergraduate mentors until February 21, 2021. The organization will also answer any questions at the 

Spring 2021 Welcome Back event on Friday, February 12 from 1:00-2:00 pm EST. For more information about joining the event see the Women in Economics page.

Seeds of Fortune provides resources such as financial education, FAFSA preparation, connections to top colleges and universities, enriching curriculum that aims to prepare students for future professional opportunities with a network of supportive women they can turn to. Learn more about Seeds of Fortune and their program on their website.