Lehigh Valley Summerbridge (LVS) is a free, nonprofit enrichment program designed to aid low-income middle school students in preparing for college. Emily Conners has been involved in LVS since 2013, when she started as a summertime literature teacher in the program. In this position, she taught academic and enrichment courses to rising seventh and eighth grade students. She has since shifted her role from teaching to volunteering on the advisory board. “Not everyone in our community has the same opportunities, and I was immediately drawn to help Lehigh Valley Summerbridge in their powerful mission to assist middle school students with academic potential, yet limited resources, prepare for college,” Conners says.
Conners received her master's in nonprofit leadership from the University of Pennsylvania and now uses her degree to ensure the sustainability and growth of the LVS program. Born and raised in the Lehigh Valley, Conners has always felt strongly about volunteer work to make her community stronger. “Volunteering brings us together as a community,” she says. “There is nothing greater we can do for our community than to help each other, especially those in need.”
Helping these students succeed, and possibly becoming first-generation college students, brings joy to Conners. Many students face obstacles out of their control, whether they are financial, an absence of resources or lack of academic preparedness. “It is amazing watching these students build confidence in themselves and their skills, and see the looks on their faces when they realize that higher education is possible for them and that they have a team of people in their corner helping them every step of the way,” says Conners.
Conners is always encouraging others to take their passions and turn them around in a way to help others. “There are so many people in our community who need our help, especially young people, and there is so much more we can all do to support them,” says Conners.
