BREAKING THROUGH BARRIERS

BY VANESSA KARAGOSIAN AND KATIE DUGAN ’20G

At Southern New Hampshire University, our commitment to transforming lives extends to the larger Manchester, New Hampshire, community. Enter: Breakthrough Manchester College-Bound.

Founded in 1991, Breakthrough Manchester began as a program for the academic enrichment and support of motivated Manchester students with limited opportunities. In the beginning, the program originally served middle school students, who would participate in a 6-week summer program and Saturday programming during the school year.

Twenty-five years later, in partnership with SNHU, Breakthrough expanded its programming in 2016 to serve Manchester high school students. As part of SNHU’s community engagement office, The Chandler Center, Breakthrough Manchester College-Bound (BTM-CB) is a tuition-free program guided by its mission to give continued support in academic growth, educational enrichment, college readiness, and essential skill-building to highly motivated, under-resourced high school students while inspiring the next generation of well-rounded leaders and educators.

“We do programming with them focused on workshops around everything from time management, study skills, public speaking, financial literacy, and preparing them for what college looks like,” said Ben Gentry, director of College Access Programs.

BTM-CB seeks to enrich the education of Manchester teens through dedicated advisors who are current college students at SNHU or other institutions of higher education—the majority of whom attended BTM-CB themselves.

Linh Mai, now an SNHU senior majoring in Politics and Global Affairs, joined Breakthrough Manchester as a middle schooler in 2014, a year after immigrating from Vietnam.

“As a quiet, reserved kid in a new country, Breakthrough gave me lifelong friendships, the confidence to speak up, and a new passion for giving back to the community,” said Linh.

After completing the BTM-CB program, Linh is now an advisor who aspires to be a safe space for current Breakthrough students.

“I hope to inspire mentorship that extends beyond me, encouraging others to give back and become a support system for underrepresented students in Manchester,” said Linh.

Linh says that her involvement in Breakthrough motivated her to become more engaged in campus life. Her resume includes president of the International Student Association for the 2023-24 school year and communication representative for the Honors Program. As part of her Honors thesis, Linh is directing an exhibition called “Reach Beyond the Universe,” which will showcase the simplicity of dreams as a shared human experience.

“Breakthrough has been a defining part of my life,” said Linh.

Another student at SNHU who holds Breakthrough Manchester close to their heart is graduating senior Karena Czzowicz.

Like Linh, Karena is also a first-generation college student and was enrolled with Breakthrough Manchester as a middle and high school student. Now as a senior at SNHU, Karena works as an Advisor for the high school program.

BTM-CB and peer support played a pivotal role in Karena’s college journey, guiding her through every step of the process—from starting her applications to selecting which college to attend. As a recipient of the Breakthrough Manchester Partnership Scholarship, Karena also received crucial financial support that helped make her education possible.

“The community is small but so incredibly passionate about education and going to college,” Karena said.

Karena and Linh are just two of the students who make BTM-CB what it is today. For the 2024-25 academic year, the program is made up of 104 high school students and 19 college student advisors. With the help of these individuals, among staff and supporters, Breakthrough Manchester at SNHU was able to host 22 events in 2024. Adding to those remarkable numbers, this year the program is celebrating 13 graduating high school seniors, all college-bound.

When reflecting on their time as a member, one of the graduating seniors said, “BTM-CB has helped me on my journey to college from sparking my interest in college to now on my way to attending college in the fall. This program has given me resources and support in this entire process from helping me with understanding schoolwork, to advice on interviews and essays, to answering questions regarding financial aid. Overall, BTM-SNHU has given me a community of like-minded individuals as well as lifelong friends and mentors.”

Many other members had positive experiences to share. The words that stand out the most from these students were skills, resources, community, support, and friendship—just some of the ways to describe the lifelong impact that BTM-CB has on the youth it serves.

With the help of Southern New Hampshire University, Breakthrough Manchester will continue empowering students to break barriers and ensure they receive the college experience they deserve, regardless of their background.