Carolina Martín Named Executive Director of Students Rising Above In San Francisco
Long-Time SRA Leader Lynne Martin To Retire in April 2017
SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Students Rising Above (SRA), one of the nation's most successful college completion and workforce entry programs, today announced that Carolina Martín, a Bay Area nonprofit leader and executive with more than 18 years of experience, has been named Executive Director.
Martín succeeds Lynne Martin, SRA's long-time leader who will be retiring April 30. Martin was responsible for building SRA into one of the country's most successful programs helping low-income, first-generation students get into and graduate from college, launch their careers and ultimately break the cycle of poverty.
"Carolina Martín is a proven leader with a passion for helping young people realize their full potential," said John Diserens, Chairman of SRA's Board of Directors. "Carolina's experience and commitment are exactly the qualities we need in a successor to Lynne Martin, who has done an incredible job at SRA over the past 15 years. Lynne has been an inspiration to us all and has made SRA the highly effective organization it is today."
Bilingual in Spanish, Martín has served in executive level positions at several Bay Area nonprofits. For the past eight years, she was Senior Vice President of DonorsChoose.org, where she was responsible for building new corporate partnerships. Before that, she served as Executive Director of Summerbridge and worked at the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, where she served as the Director of Community & Scholar Relations. A former elementary school teacher, Martín also served as Vice President for Hispanic Initiatives at Sallie Mae in California. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from the University of San Diego.
"Students Rising Above is a trailblazing organization that has transformed the lives of many young people and their families in the Bay Area," Martín said. "I look forward to building on SRA's many successes and finding new, innovative ways to help low-income, first-generation students break the cycle of poverty."
Lynne Martin was named SRA's Executive Director in 2004. When she took over as Executive Director, SRA supported about 20 students a year and its college completion rate was about 50%. Today, SRA supports more than 450 students a year through its direct services program and more than 10,000 students a year through it online College2Careers Hub. SRA's college completion rate is 90%, among the highest of any similar program.
"Carolina Martín will be a terrific Executive Director of SRA, and I am confident her leadership will result in even more young people realizing the benefit of a college education," said Lynne Martin. "I am very grateful to have worked with so many wonderful people, including our Board of Directors, the SRA staff and countless individuals who have given so generously over the years. SRA will always be near and dear to my heart and I look forward to continuing to help SRA in any way I can."
About Students Rising Above
Students Rising Above (SRA) is an award-winning nonprofit organization that enables low-income, first-generation college students to attend a four-year college and secure a career-ladder job. SRA provides personal guidance and mentoring, internships and career guidance, and financial support from college application, through graduation and into the workforce. A 501(c)3, SRA is funded by individual donations, and grants and contributions from corporations, foundations, and other nonprofit organizations. Ninety percent of SRA students complete bachelor's degrees in 4.5 years, and 87% of SRA graduates are in career-ladder jobs or attending graduate school within 12 months of college graduation. For more information or to apply to the program, visit www.studentsrisingabove.org.
SOURCE Students Rising Above
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