How the Rise Program Supports Regians Who Will Be First-Gen College Students

This story appears in the Spring 2024 issue of Regis Magazine.

As a boy, Dean of Students Mr. Brian Robinson was the first student to win a scholarship to St. Peter’s Prep from Centro Amici, a community-based organization that supports education in New Jersey for students who are most underserved by existing need-based programs. He credits that support for changing his life, and when Mr. Robinson arrived at Regis in the fall, he wanted to create a program that would, in its own way, help set up Regians for success later in life.

The resulting initiative, dubbed the Rise Program, pairs current Regians who will be first-generation college students with alumni who can provide support and guidance as they prepare for life beyond 84th Street. The program is a joint venture between the Office for Belonging, Dignity, and Justice and the Student Life Office, led by Mr. Robinson.

“It’s a full circle moment being able to start the Rise Program,” said Mr. Robinson. “When I think of the ways that I grew up and how some of my friends grew up, I am reminded of the opportunities that were not afforded to us. Whether we were too busy in the classroom, playing a sport, or working, we didn’t have the ability to be in a program like this. I am honored that I get to be a part of something that can influence these young men’s lives in a positive and supportive way.”

As part of the program, students meet alumni who were also first-generation college students. These alumni facilitate a group mentoring environment to help participants navigate their future scholastic pursuits and professional endeavors.

Among these mentors is Matthew Ulloa ’09, who is also a graduate of the founding REACH Class of 2005. After Regis, Ulloa was the first of his immediate family to attend college, studying business at the University of Delaware.

“Being in that first REACH class, the students and their families were taking a huge leap of faith and putting a lot of trust into a new program, which ended up being one of the most meaningful opportunities of my lifetime,” said Ulloa, who joined Bloomberg as an internal auditor after college and is one of the leaders of the Regians of Color alumni affinity group. “Through my experience with REACH, I came to realize that nobody does well in a vacuum. We need that support around, and being able to give current students the tools to succeed at Regis and to eventually succeed in college and their careers is truly special.”

The Rise Program formally launched in February. Among the early opportunities for Regians and their mentors to get to know each other was an outing to a Brooklyn Nets game, where they were joined by Mr. Robinson and Director of Belonging, Dignity, and Justice Ms. Belkise Dallam.

As Rise Program students graduate from Regis, they’ll also be able to return as mentors for future Regians, offering the kind of guidance on college and professional life that they themselves received.

“The students are really excited about the program, and they will be helping us to build Rise and eventually be mentors for future generations of Regians,” said Ms. Dallam.

Lucas Bujosa ’26, a founding member of the program, says he’s thankful for the opportunity.

“The one word I could use to describe the Rise Program would be ‘hopeful,’” says Bujosa, who is also a REACH graduate from the Class of 2024. “With these alumni mentors, there are doors opening that would have never been opened before. Getting my start in REACH led me to think that college was not only a possibility, but a reality. Now with the Rise Program, I see that those dreams that started in the REACH Program were not only real, but I would now have the support available to help me thrive beyond Regis.”