IGP Gives Back
The IGP Scholars Program was created in 2020 to give underserved students access to IGP’s educational consulting and mentoring, with the mission of helping them succeed on their journey to college.
Every year, IGP gives one full scholarship to an outstanding high school student who wants a chance at attending a highly selective college.
Beginning in the student’s junior year, IGP’s Founder and Director, Lisa Poliak, provides both individualized college essay coaching and invaluable mentoring that continues through the completion of the college application process in senior year.
Sabrina’s Success
IGP’s inaugural Scholar was Sabrina Mendoza, a student at Robert F. Kennedy Community School in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. Sabrina is a high-achieving student, an artist and an activist deeply involved in work around issues of social justice, equity and Latinx culture. Sabrina is a proud first-generation Zapotec-Mexican-American whose hardworking parents are vendors who did not have the benefit of education beyond elementary school.
Sabrina has been working as a vendor at Santa Monica beach on weekends since she was 10 years old, yet maintained a 4.0 GPA in high school while also taking college classes and volunteering with organizations including Self-Help Graphics, the Sante D’or Foundation and Students Deserve. With the help of essay and interview coaching from IGP, Sabrina earned a prestigious paid internship with the MOCA Teen Program.
With mentoring from Lisa, Sabrina became a finalist in the QuestBridge National College Match program, which provides a full ride to an Ivy League or other top college.
She realized her college dreams, gaining admission to Columbia University, her top-choice college, with a full scholarship.
Sabrina will be majoring in Art and Chicano Studies at Columbia, and we couldn’t be more proud.
“The college application process intimidated me for the longest time because I didn’t know whether I could complete my essays, especially when my school didn’t have sufficient resources to help students one-on-one. Receiving a scholarship from IGP changed my life. Lisa mentored me and gave her full attention to my writing while never erasing my voice as the writer. During my most stressful moments, she continued to remind me that I am capable of achieving my dreams and that I could overcome the short-term obstacle of college applications. She sincerely believes her students’ well-being comes first in order to succeed. Working with Lisa has been one of the best opportunities of my life. I am excited to attend Columbia and discover even more possibilities for my future.”
– Sabrina Mendoza