When Sana Bibi first learned about Starr Hill Pathways (SHP) as a seventh-grade student, she was simply curious.
She remembers seeing SHP Program Manager Jamar Henderson at a table during a school event and stopping to learn more about the program. Soon after, she met SHP Student Success Program Manager Traci Brooks and attended her first year of the Starr Hill Pathways summer camp.
"I didn't think it was boring or anything," Sana said. "It was fun. We did mountain biking, engineering, makeup—we did so many fun things."
What started as a summer experience quickly became a source of support that followed Sana throughout middle and high school. Through SHP's partnership with Charlottesville City Schools (CCS), Sana was surrounded by a network of people committed to helping her succeed academically, personally, and as she prepared for college.
As she entered Charlottesville High School, the transition wasn't always easy. Freshman year brought new academic challenges, particularly in biology and Spanish, but Starr Hill Pathways' after-school tutoring helped her build the study habits and confidence she needed to succeed.
"I think without Starr Hill, I wouldn't be where I am today," Sana said. "I'd probably still be in high school, and I probably wouldn't have had the grades I did."
Over the years, the program became much more than tutoring; it became a support system.
Whether she needed help finding academic resources, enrolling in summer courses, pursuing job opportunities or simply talking through challenges, Sana knew there was someone she could call. Together, SHP and Sana's support system of educators and staff at CCS helped ensure she had access to the resources, encouragement, and opportunities she needed at every stage of her journey.
She credits Traci Brooks with always finding solutions when she needed support and helping her navigate difficult moments. She describes Jamar Henderson as someone who listened without judgment and offered advice when friendships or life became complicated. SHP Operations and Student Experience Program Manager Lauren Price became another trusted mentor whose calm presence and willingness to listen made a lasting impression.
"They've always been there," Sana said. "Whenever I needed something, they would try to find a way to help."
With support from Starr Hill Pathways and City of Promise, Sana enrolled in summer courses that helped her stay on track to earn an Advanced Studies Diploma. She also learned how to advocate for herself, seek out additional tutoring when needed, and develop the independence that would carry her through her final years of high school.
By graduation, she had accomplished a goal she set for herself years earlier: graduating high school in three years instead of four.
Today, Sana is attending Piedmont Virginia Community College and plans to transfer to a four-year Virginia university to pursue a degree in health care.
Looking back, Sana says the greatest lesson she learned through Starr Hill Pathways is to take advantage of every opportunity.
"I would tell younger students to stay involved," she said. "Do what you're supposed to do, because they're there to help you. You never know what opportunities you'll find."
Although she recently graduated from Charlottesville High School and is one of two 2026 Starr Hill Pathways graduates, Sana doesn't see graduation as the end of her Starr Hill Pathways journey.
"I still feel like I'm part of Starr Hill Pathways," she said. "I'm not done."
For the Starr Hill Pathways team, that's the point. The relationships built over the years don't end at graduation; they continue as students take their next steps toward college, careers, and their futures.
