Prep for Prep Rings Nasdaq Opening Bell

"What’s so incredible about Prep is that it’s not just about providing access to the best schools, internships, and opportunities. It’s about completely changing the course of a person’s life. My story is similar to many of those of my fellow alums. My family came to New York from China when I was six years old, squeezed into a one-bedroom apartment in Chinatown with my mom, my uncle, and my grandparents. My mom navigated the public school system as best as she could, but Prep was the critical turning point. 

Prep recognized the potential in 11-year-old me, and fulfilled the promise we make to all of our kids: that hard work combined with talent and opportunity make all the difference. 

Prep for Prep will help these students and hundreds more like them develop into leaders in whatever fields they choose. I hope that when some of them come back in a few years’ time to ring the Nasdaq bell for their own companies, they will invite me to be part of that celebration." 

Thirty students in Prep’s IFE program joined Sue on stage to ring the Opening Bell. The ceremony was livestreamed on Nasdaq’s website, projected on the Nasdaq Tower in Times Square, and picked up by major networks Bloomberg, BNN, CNBC, and Fox. 

Watch the ceremony on Prep's YouTube channel here. 

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Prep for Prep’s Institute for Entrepreneurship (IFE) is an intensive and practical five-week introduction to the business world by means of a course in fundamental entrepreneurship. Ninth and tenth grade students learn basic business and economic concepts and create their own business plans, culminating in a competition for seed money to invest in their businesses. Students are paired with mentors from Google NYC who provide feedback ideas and pitches, and instructors from Upperline Code who provide coding instruction and technical assistance. Past winners have gone on to serve vegan desserts at a 1,200-person black tie event, sell a startup to a major food delivery online platform, and start a multimillion dollar fintech company.