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    For many students, the journey to college can feel overwhelming. Between navigating applications, scholarships, financial aid, and career planning, many young people from underserved communities are left trying to figure out a complicated system on their own.

    That is the gap Brooklyn-based non-profit Seeds of Fortune has spent more than a decade working to close.

    Founded by Nitiya Walker, Seeds of Fortune is a technology platform and scholars program designed to help students access affordable post-secondary pathways while building financial literacy and career development skills.

    Walker’s inspiration came from her own experience as a student when a mentor stepped in to help change the course of her future.

    “I started it because someone helped me be able to get to college on a scholarship,” Walker said. “A Girl Scout troop leader volunteered her time for six weeks to teach me how to get scholarships and how to present myself to scholarship committees. I felt like everyone should be able to have that.”

    Since its launch more than 13 years ago, Seeds of Fortune has supported approximately 4,000 students through its scholarship programming and technology platform, helping young people make informed decisions about college, careers and financial planning.

    The organization works with students beginning in their junior year of high school and continues supporting them through college graduation.

    One student whose journey reflects the organization’s mission is Aminah Williams, a Canarsie native who participated in the program while attending Brooklyn Latin High School. Interested in pursuing medicine, Williams needed opportunities to strengthen her experience in the field. Through Seeds of Fortune, she was connected to a Mount Sinai high school internship program where she gained exposure to medical careers.

    Williams later attended Smith College with scholarship support and eventually entered Mount Sinai’s FlexMed program, an early assurance pathway to medical school.

    Walker said stories like Williams’ demonstrate the importance of helping students understand that success begins with strategic planning.

    “We help students think about their pathway from high school, how to communicate their interests, and how to position themselves for the future,” she said.

    [caption id="attachment_85116" align="aligncenter" width="519"]Nitiya Walker, CEO and founder of Seeds of Fortune, leads the Brooklyn non-profit helping students navigate college, scholarships and financial futures. Nitiya Walker, CEO and founder of Seeds of Fortune, leads the Brooklyn non-profit helping students navigate college, scholarships and financial futures.Seeds of Fortune Inc.[/caption]

    For many families, the challenge is not only getting accepted into college but understanding the financial commitment that comes with it. Walker said students often choose schools based on reputation or popularity rather than finding institutions that provide the best academic and financial fit.

    “College is a very big decision to make at a very young age and one that has serious financial consequences,” Walker said.

    Seeds of Fortune helps students research colleges based on return on investment by using data from thousands of institutions to help families better understand potential outcomes after graduation.

    The organization is now expanding its impact through the Marsai Martin x FICO Fellowship Initiative, a partnership focused on financial literacy, credit education and empowering students to take control of their financial futures.

    The three-year partnership with actress and producer Marsai Martin and financial analytics company FICO aims to provide students and families with tools to better understand credit before making major financial decisions.

    The initiative includes financial education resources for parents, conversations about money management, and a scholarship opportunity awarding $1,500 to 10 university students nationwide.

    Selected fellows will also have the opportunity to attend a financial literacy brunch with Marsai Martin in Atlanta in January.

    Walker encouraged eligible students to apply before the Sept. 21 deadline and emphasized the importance of starting early.

    “Students and parents need to be as informed as possible because it is not only an education decision, it is a serious financial decision,” she said.

    As Seeds of Fortune continues to grow, Walker hopes its impact will be measured by the opportunities it creates.

    “I hope our legacy will be that we provided students and parents freedom,” she said. “The freedom of choice, the freedom of possibility and the freedom to choose a better life for themselves.”

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