Our Vision
Our bold vision is to revolutionize Black students collegiate experience by providing a guided pathway from the college admissions phase through college graduation while creating a Black leadership pipeline positioned to impact change.
Our Calling
To empower high performing, highly motivated Black students and their families with the information, know-how, and network needed to successfully navigate college and graduate without amassing stifling loan-debt.
We empower, engage and position our scholars for academic excellence and a future of unlimited possibilities.
Collegiate Bridge Board of Directors
Meet the Founder Dr. C. Nicole Henderson
“Every student who has the desire and capability to go to college should have that opportunity. Your zip code should not be the determing factor.”
Dr. Nicole, as she is affectionately called by her students, is a dynamic college access and success professional. She is the founder of Collegiate Bridge, Inc and creator of the highly successful SmartStart® College Success program. SmartStart® is a research-based innovative bridge program which equips students with the skills necessary to successfully navigate the college enrollment process, become stellar students and earn their college degree without amassing stifling loan debt.
Through her teaching, speaking, and consulting work, Dr. Henderson has extensive experience creating college pathways and empowering students in achieving new heights of college access and success. As a former Dean of Student Affairs, turned social entrepreneur, she is uniquely positioned to understand the complexities that exist in the college admissions, retention, and completion process.
She knows first-hand the challenges that impede students from graduating; the role of placement tests, the misinformation around financial aid and is successful in creating student retention strategies that support student success and completion.
She has spent the past 20+ years developing individualized coaching for students from around the country. She understands college success from beginning to end and has experience coaching students with admissions to highly selective Ivy League universities, as well as, assisting students with earning hundreds of thousands of dollars in college scholarships.
Dr. Henderson also has experience consulting with school districts in creating college readiness programs for high school students. From the launching of The TRIO Upward Bound Partnership for Student Success program, which was nominated for Innovation of the Year, to the McNair Scholars doctoral preparation program, to the development of a community-based tutoring and SAT Prep program, she works first-hand with high school administrators and has a deep understanding of the high school curriculum and how to translate it to college readiness and admissions.
She holds a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Management in Higher Education from Drexel University.