The Path Before Me is an initiative designed to increase the number of Baltimore City Public School students who are ready to enroll and succeed in college degree programs.

The Path Before Me seeks to build on this strength in community engagement to support greater community empowerment, with youth active in shaping the direction of the program in their own schools.

The project will work with a cohort of 40 students (20 juniors, 20 seniors) from Baltimore City high schools. So far, Ben Franklin High School and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute have joined in the partnership. It will provide exposure to the college experience, mentoring, SAT preparation, and support for the admissions and matriculation processes in a way that responds to how students express their own college readiness needs.

The Path Before Me will also enable UMBC to critically examine university processes and services, working to ensure equitable and sustainable pathways for Baltimore City high school students to enroll in UMBC and successfully earn their degrees.