Where Access Becomes Belonging
oments of achievement don’t always arrive on schedule or follow a single path. Across Manchester, learners of all ages reach milestones that once felt out of reach, stepping toward higher education and opening doors to new opportunities. Through long-standing collaborations supported by SNHU, these accomplishments reflect what becomes possible when educational access is expanded and when people are met with dignity, connection, and a sense of belonging.
One of those moments unfolded in January at SNHU’s Millyard, where MY TURN graduates crossed the stage in caps and gowns as family members, friends, and community leaders looked on, filling the room with applause and pride. For many of those graduates, earning a high school equivalency credential marked the culmination of years-long journeys shaped by work obligations, caregiving responsibilities, and life obstacles that made finishing school feel, at times, impossible.
MY TURN, Inc. is a Manchester-based nonprofit serving youth and adults through alternative education, post-secondary education planning, and workforce development. SNHU’s partnership with MY TURN began by providing campus space for an entrepreneurship camp in 2017. Nine years later, that initial act of support has grown into a deeper collaboration which has included co-hosting high school equivalency exam preparation classes, supporting English-language learners through the Center for New Americans, and ultimately opening SNHU spaces twice a year to formally recognize MY TURN graduates.
Before this partnership, MY TURN did not hold formal graduation ceremonies. Since 2022, SNHU has hosted eight ceremonies, cheering on more than 300 graduates as they crossed the stage. By donating space and operational resources, SNHU helps remove logistical barriers so that MY TURN can focus its energy on those it serves.
For those walking across the stage, the impact is deeply personal. “These students have worked hard to obtain their HiSET or GED credential and deserve a dignified celebration for their supporters and families,” said Steve Thiel, assistant vice president of Community Impact at SNHU, noting that the ceremonies align with broader efforts to further learner success and foster economic opportunity.
That same sense of affirmation and belonging is on full display each June at Breakthrough Manchester College-Bound’s clap-in, clap-out ceremony. Now approaching its fifth year, the ritual brings together graduating seniors and incoming middle school students on the first day of the summer program. As graduates process out in decorated caps, medals, and stoles, they’re met with resounding applause from younger students lining the path ahead.
For Ben Gentry ’12 ’14MFA ’16MEd ’21EdD, director of college access programs at SNHU, the ceremony’s impact lasts far beyond the moment. “I hope they carry that sense of belonging,” he said. “Wherever they go, I hope they know they will always be part of the Breakthrough community and that they will always be both a teacher and a learner.”
Supported by SNHU for more than a decade, Breakthrough Manchester College-Bound is a tuition-free program focused on academic enrichment, mentoring, and college access for highly motivated, under-resourced students. Its impact is generational, expanding opportunity for local youth while reinforcing that they belong in higher education.
Combined, these milestones show that educational access is not a single moment, but a sustained commitment built through mission-aligned partnerships, trust, and shared belief in human potential. By meeting learners where they are and recognizing how far they’ve come, we affirm their place within a broader community that sees them, stands beside them, and carries them forward as each new chapter begins.