In Central Harlem, New York City, Emily Pressler works to make sure children are supported through college, regardless of their family’s income.
Pressler is a senior research associate at Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), a non-profit organization that aims to end generational poverty in Central Harlem. She obtained her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.
Harlem Children’s Zone supports children and families through parent educational programs, charter schools, pre-kindergarten programming, after school programs, career preparation, and many more avenues. The work of HCZ is important for a number of reasons, Pressler said. For example, while high school graduation rates are on the rise in the U.S., and college enrollment rates continue to increase, large disparities still exist in college graduation rates based on race and ethnicity or socio-economic status.