Six Summit High School graduates from the Class of 2026 are headed to college this fall, and six more PEP Program alumni just earned degrees or professional credentials — a dozen milestones spanning architecture, nursing, business and more, all achieved by students who entered the program as seventh graders from lower-income Summit families.
"Their achievements reflect years of hard work, family support, strong partnerships, and the belief that economic circumstances should not limit a student's educational possibilities," Executive Director Maria Shepard Mendez said.
A program that doesn't let go after high school.
PEP — short for Providing Educational Possibilities — has run out of 43 Franklin Place since 1996, serving 70 students this past year with tutoring, college guidance, test prep and tuition assistance that follows kids from seventh grade all the way through college graduation.
The alumni who just crossed the finish line.
Steven Rodriguez (Class of 2021) completed a Bachelor of Architecture at NJIT. Salma Rodriguez, also Class of 2021, earned a degree in Human Development and Family Studies from UNC Greensboro. Melanie Lopez (2022) graduated with a BFA in Visual Arts from Rutgers. Sebastian Arias (2024) and Dominic Ramirez (2022) both earned associate's degrees from Union College — Arias in Health Sciences, now continuing at Kean University, and Ramirez in Business, headed to West Virginia University. Nayelly Cubero Campos (2025) picked up three medical certifications, including Clinical Medical Assistant and EKG/Phlebotomy Technician.
And six more are just getting started.
- Dayana Lemus — Seton Hall University, Nursing
- Kasey Morales — Wilkes University, Nursing
- Sebastian Obando — Universal Technical Institute, Automotive and Diesel Technology
- Lindsey Rojas — Kean University, Architecture
- Ainsley Valerio — Lafayette College, Law
- Jazmin Williams — Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Psychology
Williams put it simply on PEP's website: "PEP consistently uplifts me and ensures that my education is not what is expected of me, but what is important to me."
Know a family who could use this?
PEP recruits sixth graders with demonstrated financial need from Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School each year, and applications for the next cohort are open now. Families can reach PEP at 908-277-1106, visit pepprogramnj.org, or stop by the PEP House at 43 Franklin Place.
