Delgado’s Hilton Foundation Opportunity Youth Initiative (OYI) celebrated a successful end to the academic year for the 28 Nursing and Allied Health majors currently in the program.
OYI is a mentorship program that offers some financial support and a plethora of wraparound resources for 16-24-year-old who already have a high school diploma or GED and are interested in careers in healthcare. The goal of OYI is single-minded: to achieve the goal of graduation and successful job placement through offering a range of supports to counter life issues that are common “drop-out drivers,” thus helping boost academic achievement and retention.
The students come from KIPP, the Cowen Institute, Generation Hope and Boys Town. 35% of OYI students finished with a 2.5 GPA or higher, and 19.5% finished with at least a 2.0-2.3 GPA. 61% of students having participated in Study Skills or Tutoring with a 72% Fall-to-Fall retention rate projected for August 2023, and OYI is on track to onboard a 50-student second cohort for Fall 2023.
