College Readiness Fellowship

College Readiness Fellowship – Thrive Scholars

Location(s): St. Louis, Missouri and Miami, FL

Employment Type: Temporary, Full-Time, Fellowship (June - August 2026)

Compensation & Benefits: $2,700–$6,000 flat stipend, up to $500 travel reimbursement, and room and board (details below).

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with a flexible timeline until all positions are filled.

At Thrive Scholars, we provide high-achieving students from under-resourced communities the opportunities they need to thrive at top colleges and in meaningful careers. Our comprehensive and data-driven program model focuses on the key inflection points that can be the difference between graduating from any college and graduating from a top college with the grades, degree, career skills, and network needed to thrive in any career.

Thrive Scholars originated in Los Angeles as South Central Scholars (“SCS”) twenty years ago. Over this time, the organization has refined its program model and, in the last five years, has focused on expanding nationally; reaching more high-achieving underrepresented students, growing the number of Scholars we serve; and deepening our program impact. Thrive Scholars has begun to grow its footprint with new summer program offerings in three additional cities, with more to come.

The organization has approximately 75 year-round employees and close to 200 summer employees.

Summer Academy has long been the keystone of Thrive Scholars’ Six-Year Program, offering a signature summer experience through intensive college-preparatory courses taught by college instructors. Thrive’s current strategic direction builds on the success of our residential Summer Academy to expand our impact by establishing commuter-based Academies in cities across the United States. We launched our first two commuter programs in Los Angeles and New York City in 2024 and Chicago in 2025, while simultaneously continuing to offer the residential Summer Academies for Scholars who do not have an academy in their community.

Our students are high-achieving, including first-generation college-goers from under-resourced communities, with an average high school GPA of 3.9 on a 4.0 scale. They are eager to learn, inquisitive, and highly motivated to succeed. In general, they see themselves as good students who perform well in school and are determined to live up to that expectation. When scholars attend their first summer academy, whether commuter or residential, they are a rising high school senior.

The College Readiness Fellowship (Fellows) is a paid, residential summer program for current college students interested in building leadership, mentorship, and program management skills while making a meaningful impact. Fellows support talented rising high school seniors and incoming college freshmen from under-resourced communities as they prepare for success at top colleges and beyond. This immersive experience offers Fellows the opportunity to build transferable skills, practice hands‑on leadership, and gain professional development in one of Summer Academy’s operational areas:
Program Coordination, Operations Management, or Campus Experience Facilitation. Fellows play a vital role in creating a welcoming, engaging, and empowering residential environment for more than 400 scholars across both campuses.

During the Fellowship, participants serve as near-peer mentors and leaders at Thrive Scholars’ Summer Academies, held at Washington University in St. Louis, MO and University of Miami in Miami, Florida
.

• Serve as a role model and near-peer mentor for high-achieving high school and college students
• Facilitate workshops, group activities, and community-building events
• Provide guidance, support, and safety while fostering an engaging and inclusive residential environment
• Set and maintain professional boundaries with scholars, while upholding Thrive and campus policies; monitoring attendance, and exercising discretion at all times.
• Contribute to a welcoming, inclusive,…