Summer Foundations for School Year Success: Behind the Scenes with our Buffalo Team

As educators in public schools, we know that preparing students for a successful year requires planning well before the first day of classes. For high school students, one of the most powerful places to start their college process is through summer programs that build confidence, connections, and college readiness. Student Leadership Network’s team in Buffalo invited us to a behind-the-scenes look at how they prepared students for the current school year. We are proud to see our team’s efforts, in partnership with Buffalo Public Schools, resulting in a wide array of timely and tailored programs for our students!

Senior Success: Three-Day College Preparation Retreat

Student Leadership Network’s Buffalo team demonstrated the power of strategic summer preparation by hosting a comprehensive retreat for rising high school seniors at Canisius University. Building upon their inaugural CollegeBound Summer Institute last year, the team balanced practical college application support with relationship-building opportunities with college partners to set students up for success.

“Canisius University and the Student Leadership Network have long shared a commitment to student success, but this summer marked a deeper, more intentional collaboration, creating a unified effort to expand access and opportunity,” said Voté Wavote, Undergraduate Admissions Counselor at Canisius. “The joy and growth we witnessed from increased college engagement to meaningful connections were truly inspiring. We were proud to welcome many students to campus, including future Canisius commits who are already thriving as part of our community. I often say Student Leadership Network is my favorite CBO because of their unwavering dedication to youth development and success.”

Connecting Students with College Access Partners

What truly set this retreat apart was its approach to college connections. Instead of large-group presentations, which may feel intimidating to students just beginning to plan for college, small workshop rotations encouraged dialogue. Students met with college representatives through roundtables, a format that led to stronger participation and engagement from students, allowing them to build relationships with admissions staff earlier in the application process.

The retreat also introduced students to valuable opportunity programs such as Say YES Buffalo, expanding students’ understanding of available funding for higher education, and providing support in the scholarship application process.

The summer program was capped with a celebration component—a fun day at Buffalo Riverworks amusement park complex—reinforcing that college preparation also yields joyful moments for connection! Students bonded with peers who will support each other through the challenging senior year ahead.

Building the Foundation: Ninth-Grade Summer Orientations

Summer preparation extends beyond seniors. Our freshmen orientations, hosted at seven Buffalo Public Schools that partner with Student Leadership Network, familiarized incoming ninth-grade students and families with the high school journey and the college process. Our DCCs and senior managers introduced themselves as the key contacts for college and career counseling, providing an overview of how the program will expose students to opportunities throughout their four years in high school. From university campus visits and trade program field trips to in-school college fairs and Decision Day celebrations, our team works with students to make informed decisions about their futures. Thank you to the administrations and colleagues at our partner schools for making these early connections with families possible!

By the start of the school year, we’ve hit the ground running with a full schedule of college representative visits and trips, building on the foundation established during summer programming. This intentional approach ensures that when we reach the finish line in June, our students are prepared not just academically, but also with the confidence and connections they need for post-graduation success.

Closing the Loop: Recent Graduates Get Ready for College

While most touchpoints were tailored to current students, our team extended its expertise to support recent Buffalo high school graduates with the final pieces of college enrollment. Student Leadership Network hosted drop-in sessions at South Park’s summer school, where Class of 2025 seniors reached out for financial aid questions and finalized documents for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). SUNY Erie Community College joined us for “Instant Admit Days,” where students had another chance to explore applications and access high school transcripts through their DCCs and school counselors. Whether students were at the start of their high school journeys or needed a little boost to launch their college paths, our team was ready to provide customized support to our Buffalo community!

If you are a public high school in Buffalo interested in our programs, please email Deidre Cole-Woodall, Senior Manager of College Access Services, for more information: [email protected].