Prep for Prep Lilac Ball Raises $3.4 Million In Support of Academic, Leadership, and Professional Advancement

Prep for Prep’s 2023 Lilac Ball, held Monday, June 12 at the New York Marriott Marquis, raised $3.4 million to support educational, leadership, and professional development opportunities for promising students of color in New York City. This year marked the first time in Prep for Prep’s history that the organization recognized an alum as the Lilac Ball honoree. Kareem Cook (VI) is the co-owner and Chief Marketing Officer of Naturade, a company that is addressing the diet-related illnesses epidemic by distributing affordable plant-based meal replacement and nutritional shakes through retailers such as Costco, Whole Foods Market, Target, and Amazon. 

“Second to my mom, Prep for Prep has had the most impact on my life,” said Kareem. “I remember being in fifth grade and taking the test [to apply to Prep]…I remember wondering if I’d make it. I got the acceptance letter…and all of a sudden I was in summer school and I had five to six hours of homework everyday… I knew I wouldn't make it. I wondered how long I would keep the farce up. … By the next summer I felt like the man. I felt like I was the smartest person in Contingent VI. We all felt that. That was Prep.” 

Kareem is so appreciative of Prep for Prep that last year he leveraged his relationship with Costco to convince the big-box retailer to make a $197,000 donation to the organization. This represented 25 percent of the profits from the sale of Naturade at Costco during the 2021-2022 fiscal year and is the largest donation facilitated by a Prep alumnus in the organization’s 45-year history. 

In addition to his work with Naturade, Kareem is the founder and Managing Director of Towerview Capital Management. He earned his bachelor's degree from Duke University and his MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. He currently serves on the Duke Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Prep for Prep Board of Trustees.

 

“I celebrate and elevate you as the first Prep for Prep alum ever honored in our 45 years,” said Ruth Jurgensen, Prep for Prep’s Chief Executive Officer, to Kareem at the gala. “We honor you for your entrepreneurial spirit and countless acts of service to Prep. We honor you for your unwavering commitment to and the fulfillment and uplifting of Prep’s mission in all you do.” 

Participating in Prep for Prep forever changes the lives of students in middle school, high school, and beyond. Three students–one in our Preparatory Component and two graduating high school seniors–shared their Prep Journeys at the Lilac Ball. 

When Sixth-grader Cameron J. (XLV/Rye Country Day School) started the Preparatory Component, he was a self-reliant student who excelled academically. When he faced challenges in Prep, he soon learned that he was part of a community upon which he could rely. “Seeking out help felt strange and difficult,” said Cameron. “But then I realized the friends I made in Prep, my advisors, and my teachers, we are all in this together and this unique experience makes us a family–and family helps family.” 

This fall, Cameron will begin seventh grade at Rye Country Day School. “I am very excited about making new friends and bonding with the teachers, administrators, and staff there. But most of all, I’m excited about being able to attend such an amazing school, on such a beautiful campus and with so many activities to offer. This wouldn’t be possible without Prep for Prep and the ongoing, generous support of the Prep Community. For this, I am forever grateful.” 

High school senior Krislyn M. (XXXIX, Packer ’23, Cornell) shared how she created a place for herself at Packer by founding a group called Black Girl Magic. “In my club, I didn’t feel like a small part of the Packer community, but a powerful faction with a big voice,” said Krislyn. “Those of us in Black Girl Magic did not need to change ourselves; rather, we needed to feel empowered by our uniqueness. Black Girl Magic allowed us to share our culture …. The joyful reaction to Black Girl Magic made me feel heard, supported, and appreciated.” At the beginning of her Prep Journey, Krislyn said she struggled to find resonance in Prep’s motto–Excellence, Integrity, Commitment, and Courage. “At 10 years old, those words didn’t have meaning for me. But now, as I embark on the next step of my Prep Journey, I see how those values shaped my dream to become a changemaker.” 

Senior speaker Nicole O. M. (XXXII/Hotchkiss ’23/Stanford) described how learning to overcome rejection changed her academic path. After being cut from the first round of the Prep for Prep application process, she received an invitation to apply for PREP 9. “I was hesitant and maybe even a little petty,” said Nicole. “They didn't want me then, maybe I didn't want them now. But I knew an opportunity when I saw it, so I grabbed a hold of it. And to this day, I am still holding on tight.” Nicole applied effort to her passions, especially in the area of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which resulted in a successful experience at Hotchkiss. “It was not only fate that got me there; it was relentless, meticulous, and unwavering effort. You could call it grit, determination, maybe even stubbornness. Whatever it is, it's something every past and present Prep student has.”

In the fall, many Prep and PREP 9 students will enroll in some of the top colleges and universities in the country. Top college choices include: Cornell University (12 students), Northwestern University (6), Wesleyan University (6), Boston University (5), and Syracuse University (5). 

 

Since 1986, the Lilac Ball has served as Prep’s signature annual fundraising event. It honors leaders committed to education and youth and celebrates Prep’s graduating high school seniors. All funds raised through the Lilac Ball go directly to Prep programming; event-related expenses are underwritten by the Board.

 

The 2023 Lilac Ball was supported by Harriet & Eric Rothfeld; The Rothfeld Family Foundation; the John and Barbara Vogelstein Foundation; Diógenes Brito; Lisa & Dick Cashin; McKinsey & Company (Gouri & Alexander Edlich); M. Robin Krasny;  The Maher Family Foundation; Daniel M. Neidich & Brooke Garber Foundation; Kate & Bob Neihaus; Megan Sheetz & Trevor Price; Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz (Susan & Martin Lipton, Karessa L. Cain & Michael Hay and Jeannemarie O'Brien & Yves-Achille Casimir); and many additional donors. Proceeds from the event support Prep’s mission of creating a more diverse national leadership pool.