Ninety-five seventh-grade students attended the Temple Future Scholars Welcome Ceremony for cohort two on May 26, beginning their nine-year journey with the university to maximize their academic and professional opportunities.
Temple Future Scholars is a collaborative initiative between Temple University, the School District of Philadelphia and Heights Philadelphia.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
On May 26, local middle school students paraded into the Temple Performing Arts Center in matching cherry and white T-shirts, cheered on by friends and family. “Pomp and Circumstance” played as the students found their seats, but instead of marking an ending, the familiar graduation song celebrated the beginning of the students’ journey as Temple Future Scholars.
Supported by Temple’s Office of the Provost and led by the College of Education and Human Development and the Center for Reimagining Excellence, Access and Transformation in Education (CREATE), Temple Future Scholars is a university initiative focused on preparing current North Philadelphia middle schoolers for college, providing them with access opportunities to help maximize their academic and professional potential.
Temple Future Scholars launched in February 2025. This summer, the program welcomes its second cohort of 95 students from seven schools, including Mary McLeod Bethune School, Morton McMichael School, Paul L. Dunbar School, Russell H. Conwell Middle School, Tanner G. Duckrey School, John F. Hartranft Elementary and Juniata Park Academy.
Temple Future Scholars welcomed its second cohort in the Temple Performing Arts Center on May 26.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
“We know that those with the brilliance, radiance, exuberance, talents and character to fuel and lead our communities’ futures are present in the schools and neighborhoods of Philadelphia,” said Juliet Curci, assistant dean of college access and persistence and executive director of CREATE, during her opening remarks at the Welcome Celebration for cohort two on May 26. “The Temple Future Scholars program is one of the ways we aim to demonstrate our commitment to our district students and their families.”
Eligible students join Temple Future Scholars as seventh graders and engage with a variety of programming from their middle to high school years, including on-campus Saturday sessions, workshops and mentorship opportunities with current Temple students and an immersive, four-week summer program. While participating in Temple Future Scholars does not guarantee admission to Temple University as an undergraduate, any Future Scholar who applies and is accepted to the university and meets eligibility requirements can receive financial support through Temple Promise.
Temple Future Scholars is a collaborative effort between Temple University, the School District of Philadelphia and Heights Philadelphia, a local nonprofit organization and economic mobility catalyst that connects students to proven college and career pathways. Representatives from both organizations attended the welcome event to share their words of celebration and inspiration with the new cohort.
“As I look at you all tonight, I know our future is bright,” said Brenda Elliott, deputy superintendent of academics at the School District of Philadelphia. “The world that we live in is faced with many problems, and it takes young minds that are committed to a great education to solve them.”
Sean Vereen, president and CEO of Heights Philadelphia, echoed Elliot’s enthusiasm.
“We believe that every young person in this city deserves a chance at economic opportunity,” Vereen remarked. “Our job is to be with you in the long run.”
While this cohort of Future Scholars is just beginning, students and families shared that they are looking forward to the opportunity to experience academic life at Temple.
“My son has already said he wants to go to Temple for college,” shared Shade Daughtry. “He is excited about the summer session, and I am glad that he has something to do during break that will help him learn and prepare for his future.”
Family members cheered on their seventh grade students during the Temple Future Scholars Welcome Ceremony.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
Antonio Romero, director of the Temple Community Gateway, was also on hand to cheer on the new cohort of Future Scholars.
“We are really deeply committed to your success and your entire family’s success,” Romero said. “At the Community Gateway, we’re here to connect you to hundreds of community-facing programs for you, for your parents, for your grandparents, for your aunties, for your uncles, for everybody.”
Monika Williams Shealey, dean of the College of Education and Human Development, closed out the event. A former middle school teacher herself, Shealey shared her enthusiasm and aspirations for the next cohort of Future Scholars.
“I want you to feel that you belong here, that you can see yourself here,” said Shealey. “Temple’s campus is an extension of your home, your neighborhood.
“When you graduate from college and you cross the stage and get your diploma,” Shealey concluded, “you are going to remember that it all started right here.”