Prep’s Lilac Ball Raised Over $3 Million for Education and Leadership Development
Prep for Prep’s Lilac Ball on June 12 was a resounding success, netting over $3 million to support educational and leadership development opportunities for New York City’s most promising students of color. The event honored philanthropist Lawrence E. Golub, CEO of Golub Capital, a nationally recognized credit asset manager with over $20 billion of capital under management. Over 1,200 guests gathered at the New York Hilton Midtown to celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of Prep’s graduating seniors.
Mr. Golub remarked, “As we celebrate the graduates, I hope you will also think about this story as a message from the future thanking you for your hard work. There will be so many people that you will help in your lives, and as you work and sometimes suffer to accomplish your goals, please feel some of the love and gratitude that will crystalize in the future from your children and others whose lives you will improve.”
From student body presidents to international theater performers, neuroscience researchers to computer coders, the Class of 2017 is ready to take on new challenges in college this fall. As far as they have come on their individual journeys, each student also believes in paying forward the opportunities they’ve earned through Prep. “It is because of this program that I have been able to shatter stereotypes, break boundaries, and move outside the box. But it’s not just about my journey. I will strive to create a new path, so that other nerdy kids from Brownsville will have the role model I never had,” said Lilac Ball Student Speaker Jelani Hutchins-Belgrave (P9 XXVI/Hotchkiss ’17, Penn).
An impressive one-third of the Class of 2017 will attend Ivy League universities, and 88% of the senior class will matriculate at colleges characterized as "Most Competitive" or “Highly Competitive” according to Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges 2017. Top college choices of Prep students include:
| College | College | ||
| Brown | 4 | NYU | 5 |
| Carnegie Mellon | 3 | Penn | 7 |
| Claremont McKenna | 3 | Princeton | 3 |
| Columbia | 6 | Tufts | 3 |
| Cornell | 6 | Washington Univ. | 4 |
| Dartmouth | 3 | Wesleyan | 4 |
| Duke | 3 | Williams | 4 |
| Harvard | 5 | Yale | 8 |
Watch the inspirational video shown at the event of three Prep for Prep immigrant families building their American Dreams, and read Bloomberg news coverage of the Ball here.
About the Lilac Ball
Since 1986, the Lilac Ball has served as Prep’s signature annual event. It not only honors leaders with a commitment to education and youth, but also celebrates the outstanding college choices of Prep’s graduating high school seniors who host the evening’s festivities. Proceeds from the event support Prep's mission of creating a more diverse national leadership pool. All funds raised through the Lilac Ball go directly to Prep programming; event-related expenses are underwritten by the Board of Trustees.
About the Lilac Ball
Since 1986, the Lilac Ball has served as Prep’s signature annual event. It not only honors leaders with a commitment to education and youth, but also celebrates the outstanding college choices of Prep’s graduating high school seniors who host the evening’s festivities. Proceeds from the event support Prep's mission of creating a more diverse national leadership pool. All funds raised through the Lilac Ball go directly to Prep programming; event-related expenses are underwritten by the Board of Trustees.
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We envision a nation guided by ethical and effective leaders that reflect our diverse society.
Prep for Prep's mission is to develop future leaders by creating access for young people of color to first-rate educational, leadership development and professional opportunities.
Prep for Prep's mission is to develop future leaders by creating access for young people of color to first-rate educational, leadership development and professional opportunities.
