Rising Brothers and Sisters Celebrates Five Years of Outreach Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Rising Brothers and Sisters has been helping students prepare for college for five years, with outreach now supporting over 260 students annually from 13 high schools across the Pittsburgh region.
"We have seen exponential growth in the number of students participating and observing how they absorb the principles for success in each session. We do what we do because it can be life-changing for the students."
Not only does the faculty at Point Park University support college students in achieving their career goals, but their efforts reach even to high school students through programs such as Rising Brothers and Sisters.
The Rowland School of Business is celebrating five years of successful outreach through Rising Brothers and Sisters, an organization dedicated to mentoring high school students in their pursuit of college degrees. The group has continued to grow its footprint in helping guide students in topics such as student success, college literacy, financial aid, admissions, personal finance, and leadership.
"The Rising Brothers and Sisters Program has been a real joy to oversee over the past five years," said Mitchel Nickols, Ph.D., director of Rising Brothers and Sisters. "We have seen exponential growth in the number of students participating and observing how they absorb the principles for success in each session. We do what we do because it can be life-changing for the students."
Originally launched in 2021, the program began at three local high schools to help prepare incoming students for the financial and academic barriers in the college application process. Students gained access to tools and friendly faces that helped teach about decision-making and academic success, including who to talk to in college and what to consider when applying. Since then, the program has grown to support over 260 students annually from 13 schools in communities across Allegheny, Beaver, Westmoreland, Indiana, and Washington counties.
The group has also continued to grow the number of speakers and visits from industry professionals, including a visit from Pittsburgh Steeler and Super Bowl Champion Willie Parker. Other notable speakers include visits from Dollar Bank, Tri-State Capital, Mascaro Construction, Pittsburgh Councilman Kahari Mosley, and Melvin Hubbard, former senior advisor to the mayor’s office for the City of Pittsburgh.
"I am so proud of the work we are doing with Rising Brothers and Sisters," said Stephen Tanzilli, J.D., dean of the Rowland School of Business. "Our work is positively impacting over 300 high school students from over a dozen schools encompassing four counties. I am looking forward to continuing the great work within these communities and am excited about future growth where we can engage with even more students who are in need of positive encouragement and exposure to so many important life skills.”