Susie Kay, a former teacher, is the founder and president of the Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund, a college preparatory program for high school students in the District of Columbia public schools. Since 1996, Kay has organized an annual one-day, 3-on-3 basketball tournament as a fundraiser.
What inspired you to start Hoop Dreams?
The inspiration and frustration of teaching at H.D. Woodson High for 13 years. So many students’ dreams were cut short by no fault of their own. I wanted to find a way to engage and cultivate relationships between business leaders and hardworking students. When you bring people together with common goals and a focus on empowerment, good things will happen.
What services does Hoop Dreams provide?
Well, the popular misconception is that Hoop Dreams is about basketball. We almost have nothing to do with basketball. We provide yearlong college prep mentoring, an internship program and SAT prep classes. We have an annual 3-on-3 tournament, but we raise funds for these programs all year long. It was a magical day when we organized the first basketball tournament in 1996, so we kept the name to retain the spirit. … Since we started, we’ve sent about 900 kids to college.
What steps can students take to better equip themselves for college?
Build relationships with the right people and be very proactive about finding the resources that will help them succeed, but that’s for life in general.
Many students in D.C. Public Schools are the first in their families to attend college. The application process can be daunting, so we make it a priority to help them with the process so they don’t get overwhelmed.
If people reading this want to help, how could they contribute?
Great question! Visit our Web site, hoopdreams.org, or call us at 202-414-8226. We need donations, volunteers, employers and internship providers.
