Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty
Beth Zasloff
(Author)
Joshua Steckel
(Author)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
An "invaluable" memoir by a counselor who left the elite private-school world to help poor and working-class kids get into college (Washington Monthly). Winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Award Joshua Steckel left an elite Manhattan school to serve as the first-ever college guidance counselor at a Brooklyn public high school--and has helped hundreds of disadvantaged kids gain acceptance. But getting in is only one part of the drama. This riveting work of narrative nonfiction follows the lives of ten of Josh's students as they navigate the vast, obstacle-ridden landscape of college in America, where students for whom the stakes of education are highest find unequal access and inadequate support. Among the students we meet are Mike, who writes his essays from a homeless shelter and is torn between his longing to get away to an idyllic campus and his fear of leaving his family in desperate circumstances; Santiago, a talented, motivated, and undocumented student, who battles bureaucracy and low expectations as he seeks a life outside the low-wage world of manual labor; and Ashley, who pursues her ambition to become a doctor with almost superhuman drive--but then forges a path that challenges received wisdom about the value of an elite liberal arts education. At a time when the idea of "college for all" is hotly debated, this book uncovers, in heartrending detail, the ways the American education system fails in its promise as a ladder to opportunity--yet provides hope in its portrayal of the intelligence, resilience, and everyday heroics of young people whose potential is too often ignored. "A profound examination of the obstacles faced by low-income students . . . and the kinds of reforms needed to make higher education and the upward mobility it promises more accessible." --Booklist
Product Details
Price
$25.95
$24.13
Publisher
New Press
Publish Date
March 25, 2014
Pages
320
Dimensions
5.8 X 8.1 X 1.2 inches | 1.0 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781595589040
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About the Author
Beth Zasloff has taught writing at New York University, at Johns Hopkins University, and as a teaching artist in the New York City public schools. She
is the co-author, with Edgar M. Bronfman, of Hope, Not Fear: A Path to Jewish Renaissance and currently directs the Midtown Workmen's Circle School, a
progressive Jewish community. She has a BA in English from Yale University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars. Joshua
Steckel is College Counselor at the Brooklyn School for Collaborative Studies, a member of the New York City Outward Bound Schools network. He has been working as a teacher and a counselor in New York City public and private schools since 2000. He has an MSEd in school counseling from Hunter College, a BA in English from Duke University, and an MA in English from Johns Hopkins University. Beth Zasloff and Joshua Steckel are married and live with their three children in Brooklyn.
is the co-author, with Edgar M. Bronfman, of Hope, Not Fear: A Path to Jewish Renaissance and currently directs the Midtown Workmen's Circle School, a
progressive Jewish community. She has a BA in English from Yale University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars. Joshua
Steckel is College Counselor at the Brooklyn School for Collaborative Studies, a member of the New York City Outward Bound Schools network. He has been working as a teacher and a counselor in New York City public and private schools since 2000. He has an MSEd in school counseling from Hunter College, a BA in English from Duke University, and an MA in English from Johns Hopkins University. Beth Zasloff and Joshua Steckel are married and live with their three children in Brooklyn.
Reviews
"Josh Steckel is one of those unsung heroes of American education."
--Richard Stopol, president, New York City Outward Bound Schools
"You won't soon forget these powerfully rendered stories of young people battling big odds to go to college, for "Hold Fast to Dreams" is, all in one, a great read, an educational manifesto, and a testament to the vibrant ability of kids who just need a chance to realize their dreams. This book should be on every policy maker's desk."
--Mike Rose, author of "Why School?" and "Lives on the Boundary"
"I love it. It was better than a good novel. I couldn't get Santiago's dilemma out of my mind. . . . It's magnificent--thank you!"
--Debbie Meier, author of "Will Standards Save Public Education?" and founder of the Small Schools movement
""Hold Fast to Dreams" is about the difficulty poorer students have in grasping the American dream. It is essential reading for those who care about the lives of all children."
--Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former op-ed columnist for the "New York Times"
""Hold Fast to Dreams" is not another manifesto extolling the benefits of college. In this important new book, Joshua Steckel and Beth Zasloff provide a heartfelt analysis of the factors that make it difficult for so many urban youth to access the opportunities that college provides. Drawing on years of direct experience counseling young people for whom college is little more than a faint dream, the authors show us what it takes to bridge the opportunity divide and use education to transform lives and expand opportunity. . . . This book is a must-read."
--Pedro Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University and author of "City Schools and the American Dream"
"The important new book Joshua Steckel has written with Beth Zasloff, "Hold Fast to Dreams," follows ten students at his former school and illuminates the dogged commitment and insider knowledge required to ensure that all students, regardless of background or circumstance, have access to the educational and economic opportunities that are often closed to many of our nation's young people."
--Richard Stopol, president of NYC Outward Bound Schools
"You won't soon forget these powerfully rendered stories of young people battling big odds to go to college, for "Hold Fast to Dreams" is, all in one, a great read, an educational manifesto, and a testament to the vibrant ability of kids who just need a chance to realize their dreams. This book sho
"This is more than a heart-wrenching look at the particular struggles of 10 inner-city students. It is a profound examination of the obstacles faced by low-income students to get into and through college and the kinds of reforms needed to make higher education and the upward mobility it promises more accessible."
--"Booklist"
"A powerful story of courage and hope that should inspire others to follow trailblazers like Steckel and his students."
--"Kirkus Reviews"
"I love it. It was better than a good novel. I couldn't get Santiago's dilemma out of my mind. . . . It's magnificent--thank you!"
--Debbie Meier, author of "Will Standards Save Public Education?" and founder of the Small Schools movement
""Hold Fast to Dreams" is about the difficulty poorer students have in grasping the American dream. It is essential reading for those who care about the lives of all children."
--Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former op-ed columnist for the "New York Times"
""Hold Fast to Dreams" is not another manifesto extolling the benefits of college. In this important new book, Joshua Steckel and Beth Zasloff provide a heartfelt analysis of the factors that make it difficult for so many urban youth to access the opportunities that college provides. Drawing on years of direct experience counseling young people for whom college is little more than a faint dream, the authors show us what it takes to bridge the opportunity divide and use education to transform lives and expand opportunity. . . . This book is a must-read."
--Pedro Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University and author of "City Schools and the American Dream"
"The important new book Joshua Steckel has written with Beth Zasloff, "Hold Fast to Dreams," follows ten students at his former school and illuminates the dogged commitment and insider knowledge required to ensure that all students, regardless of background or circumstance
"In the event the first lady is not in the room to offer guidance to the staffers charged with putting the White House [higher education] directives into action, somebody should slip them a copy of Beth Zasloff and Joshua Steckel's new book, "Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty.""
--"The Chronicle of Higher Education"
"This is more than a heart-wrenching look at the particular struggles of 10 inner-city students. It is a profound examination of the obstacles faced by low-income students to get into and through college and the kinds of reforms needed to make higher education and the upward mobility it promises more accessible."
--"Booklist"
"A powerful story of courage and hope that should inspire others to follow trailblazers like Steckel and his students."
--"Kirkus Reviews"
"As the population of America's future college students becomes more diverse, stories such as "Hold Fast to Dreams" become ever so more important."
--"Diverse: Issues in Higher Education"
"I love it. It was better than a good novel. I couldn't get Santiago's dilemma out of my mind. . . . It's magnificent--thank you!"
--Debbie Meier, author of "Will Standards Save Public Education?" and founder of the Small Schools movement
""Hold Fast to Dreams" is about the difficulty poorer students have in grasping the American dream. It is essential reading for those who care about the lives of all children."
--Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former op-ed columnist for the "New York Times"
""Hold Fast to Dreams" is not another manifesto extolling the benefits of college. In this important new book, Joshua Steckel and Beth Zasloff provide a heartfelt analysis of the factors that make it difficult for so many urban youth to access the opportunities that college provides. Drawing on years of direct experience counseling young people for whom college is little mo
Without sentimentality, [Steckel and Zasloff] chronicle the lives of several students and the challenges that they face. Motoko Rich from the What We're Reading column in the New York Times
"In the event the first lady is not in the room to offer guidance to the staffers charged with putting the White House [higher education] directives into action, somebody should slip them a copy of Beth Zasloff and Joshua Steckel's new book, Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty."
The Chronicle of Higher Education
"This is more than a heart-wrenching look at the particular struggles of 10 inner-city students. It is a profound examination of the obstacles faced by low-income students to get into and through college and the kinds of reforms needed to make higher education and the upward mobility it promises more accessible."
Booklist
"A powerful story of courage and hope that should inspire others to follow trailblazers like Steckel and his students."
Kirkus Reviews
"As the population of America s future college students becomes more diverse, stories such as Hold Fast to Dreams become ever so more important."
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
"I love it. It was better than a good novel. I couldn t get Santiago s dilemma out of my mind. . . . It s magnificentthank you!"
Debbie Meier, author of Will Standards Save Public Education? and founder of the Small Schools movement
"Hold Fast to Dreams is about the difficulty poorer students have in grasping the American dream. It is essential reading for those who care about the lives of all children."
Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former op-ed columnist for the New York Times
"Hold Fast to Dreams is not another manifesto extolling the benefits of college. In this important new book, Joshua Steckel and Beth Zasloff provide a heartfelt analysis of the factors that make it difficult for so many urban youth to access the opportunities that college provides. Drawing on years of direct experience counseling young people for whom college is little more than a faint dream, the authors show us what it takes to bridge the opportunity divide and use education to transform lives and expand opportunity. . . . This book is a must-read."
Pedro Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University and author of City Schools and the American Dream
"The important new book Joshua Steckel has written with Beth Zasloff, Hold Fast to Dreams, follows ten students at his former school and illuminates the dogged commitment and insider knowledge required to ensure that all students, regardless of background or circumstance, have access to the educational and economic opportunities that are often closed to many of our nation s young people."
Richard Stopol, president of NYC Outward Bound Schools
"You won't soon forget these powerfully rendered stories of young people battling big odds to go to college, for Hold Fast to Dreams is, all in one, a great read, an educational manifesto, and a testament to the vibrant ability of kids who just need a chance to realize their dreams. This book should be on every policy maker's desk."
Mike Rose, author of Why School? and Lives on the Boundary
"
"Without sentimentality, [Steckel and Zasloff] chronicle the lives of several students and the challenges that they face." --Motoko Rich from the "What We're Reading" column in the New York Times "In the event the first lady is not in the room to offer guidance to the staffers charged with putting the White House [higher education] directives into action, somebody should slip them a copy of Beth Zasloff and Joshua Steckel's new book, Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty."
--The Chronicle of Higher Education "This is more than a heart-wrenching look at the particular struggles of 10 inner-city students. It is a profound examination of the obstacles faced by low-income students to get into and through college and the kinds of reforms needed to make higher education and the upward mobility it promises more accessible."
--Booklist "A powerful story of courage and hope that should inspire others to follow trailblazers like Steckel and his students."
--Kirkus Reviews "As the population of America's future college students becomes more diverse, stories such as Hold Fast to Dreams become ever so more important."
--Diverse: Issues in Higher Education "I love it. It was better than a good novel. I couldn't get Santiago's dilemma out of my mind. . . . It's magnificent--thank you!"
--Debbie Meier, author of Will Standards Save Public Education? and founder of the Small Schools movement "Hold Fast to Dreams is about the difficulty poorer students have in grasping the American dream. It is essential reading for those who care about the lives of all children."
--Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former op-ed columnist for the New York Times "Hold Fast to Dreams is not another manifesto extolling the benefits of college. In this important new book, Joshua Steckel and Beth Zasloff provide a heartfelt analysis of the factors that make it difficult for so many urban youth to access the opportunities that college provides. Drawing on years of direct experience counseling young people for whom college is little more than a faint dream, the authors show us what it takes to bridge the opportunity divide and use education to transform lives and expand opportunity. . . . This book is a must-read."
--Pedro Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University and author of City Schools and the American Dream "The important new book Joshua Steckel has written with Beth Zasloff, Hold Fast to Dreams, follows ten students at his former school and illuminates the dogged commitment and insider knowledge required to ensure that all students, regardless of background or circumstance, have access to the educational and economic opportunities that are often closed to many of our nation's young people."
--Richard Stopol, president of NYC Outward Bound Schools "You won't soon forget these powerfully rendered stories of young people battling big odds to go to college, for Hold Fast to Dreams is, all in one, a great read, an educational manifesto, and a testament to the vibrant ability of kids who just need a chance to realize their dreams. This book should be on every policy maker's desk."
--Mike Rose, author of Why School? and Lives on the Boundary
--Richard Stopol, president, New York City Outward Bound Schools
"You won't soon forget these powerfully rendered stories of young people battling big odds to go to college, for "Hold Fast to Dreams" is, all in one, a great read, an educational manifesto, and a testament to the vibrant ability of kids who just need a chance to realize their dreams. This book should be on every policy maker's desk."
--Mike Rose, author of "Why School?" and "Lives on the Boundary"
"I love it. It was better than a good novel. I couldn't get Santiago's dilemma out of my mind. . . . It's magnificent--thank you!"
--Debbie Meier, author of "Will Standards Save Public Education?" and founder of the Small Schools movement
""Hold Fast to Dreams" is about the difficulty poorer students have in grasping the American dream. It is essential reading for those who care about the lives of all children."
--Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former op-ed columnist for the "New York Times"
""Hold Fast to Dreams" is not another manifesto extolling the benefits of college. In this important new book, Joshua Steckel and Beth Zasloff provide a heartfelt analysis of the factors that make it difficult for so many urban youth to access the opportunities that college provides. Drawing on years of direct experience counseling young people for whom college is little more than a faint dream, the authors show us what it takes to bridge the opportunity divide and use education to transform lives and expand opportunity. . . . This book is a must-read."
--Pedro Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University and author of "City Schools and the American Dream"
"The important new book Joshua Steckel has written with Beth Zasloff, "Hold Fast to Dreams," follows ten students at his former school and illuminates the dogged commitment and insider knowledge required to ensure that all students, regardless of background or circumstance, have access to the educational and economic opportunities that are often closed to many of our nation's young people."
--Richard Stopol, president of NYC Outward Bound Schools
"You won't soon forget these powerfully rendered stories of young people battling big odds to go to college, for "Hold Fast to Dreams" is, all in one, a great read, an educational manifesto, and a testament to the vibrant ability of kids who just need a chance to realize their dreams. This book sho
"This is more than a heart-wrenching look at the particular struggles of 10 inner-city students. It is a profound examination of the obstacles faced by low-income students to get into and through college and the kinds of reforms needed to make higher education and the upward mobility it promises more accessible."
--"Booklist"
"A powerful story of courage and hope that should inspire others to follow trailblazers like Steckel and his students."
--"Kirkus Reviews"
"I love it. It was better than a good novel. I couldn't get Santiago's dilemma out of my mind. . . . It's magnificent--thank you!"
--Debbie Meier, author of "Will Standards Save Public Education?" and founder of the Small Schools movement
""Hold Fast to Dreams" is about the difficulty poorer students have in grasping the American dream. It is essential reading for those who care about the lives of all children."
--Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former op-ed columnist for the "New York Times"
""Hold Fast to Dreams" is not another manifesto extolling the benefits of college. In this important new book, Joshua Steckel and Beth Zasloff provide a heartfelt analysis of the factors that make it difficult for so many urban youth to access the opportunities that college provides. Drawing on years of direct experience counseling young people for whom college is little more than a faint dream, the authors show us what it takes to bridge the opportunity divide and use education to transform lives and expand opportunity. . . . This book is a must-read."
--Pedro Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University and author of "City Schools and the American Dream"
"The important new book Joshua Steckel has written with Beth Zasloff, "Hold Fast to Dreams," follows ten students at his former school and illuminates the dogged commitment and insider knowledge required to ensure that all students, regardless of background or circumstance
"In the event the first lady is not in the room to offer guidance to the staffers charged with putting the White House [higher education] directives into action, somebody should slip them a copy of Beth Zasloff and Joshua Steckel's new book, "Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty.""
--"The Chronicle of Higher Education"
"This is more than a heart-wrenching look at the particular struggles of 10 inner-city students. It is a profound examination of the obstacles faced by low-income students to get into and through college and the kinds of reforms needed to make higher education and the upward mobility it promises more accessible."
--"Booklist"
"A powerful story of courage and hope that should inspire others to follow trailblazers like Steckel and his students."
--"Kirkus Reviews"
"As the population of America's future college students becomes more diverse, stories such as "Hold Fast to Dreams" become ever so more important."
--"Diverse: Issues in Higher Education"
"I love it. It was better than a good novel. I couldn't get Santiago's dilemma out of my mind. . . . It's magnificent--thank you!"
--Debbie Meier, author of "Will Standards Save Public Education?" and founder of the Small Schools movement
""Hold Fast to Dreams" is about the difficulty poorer students have in grasping the American dream. It is essential reading for those who care about the lives of all children."
--Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former op-ed columnist for the "New York Times"
""Hold Fast to Dreams" is not another manifesto extolling the benefits of college. In this important new book, Joshua Steckel and Beth Zasloff provide a heartfelt analysis of the factors that make it difficult for so many urban youth to access the opportunities that college provides. Drawing on years of direct experience counseling young people for whom college is little mo
Without sentimentality, [Steckel and Zasloff] chronicle the lives of several students and the challenges that they face. Motoko Rich from the What We're Reading column in the New York Times
"In the event the first lady is not in the room to offer guidance to the staffers charged with putting the White House [higher education] directives into action, somebody should slip them a copy of Beth Zasloff and Joshua Steckel's new book, Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty."
The Chronicle of Higher Education
"This is more than a heart-wrenching look at the particular struggles of 10 inner-city students. It is a profound examination of the obstacles faced by low-income students to get into and through college and the kinds of reforms needed to make higher education and the upward mobility it promises more accessible."
Booklist
"A powerful story of courage and hope that should inspire others to follow trailblazers like Steckel and his students."
Kirkus Reviews
"As the population of America s future college students becomes more diverse, stories such as Hold Fast to Dreams become ever so more important."
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
"I love it. It was better than a good novel. I couldn t get Santiago s dilemma out of my mind. . . . It s magnificentthank you!"
Debbie Meier, author of Will Standards Save Public Education? and founder of the Small Schools movement
"Hold Fast to Dreams is about the difficulty poorer students have in grasping the American dream. It is essential reading for those who care about the lives of all children."
Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former op-ed columnist for the New York Times
"Hold Fast to Dreams is not another manifesto extolling the benefits of college. In this important new book, Joshua Steckel and Beth Zasloff provide a heartfelt analysis of the factors that make it difficult for so many urban youth to access the opportunities that college provides. Drawing on years of direct experience counseling young people for whom college is little more than a faint dream, the authors show us what it takes to bridge the opportunity divide and use education to transform lives and expand opportunity. . . . This book is a must-read."
Pedro Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University and author of City Schools and the American Dream
"The important new book Joshua Steckel has written with Beth Zasloff, Hold Fast to Dreams, follows ten students at his former school and illuminates the dogged commitment and insider knowledge required to ensure that all students, regardless of background or circumstance, have access to the educational and economic opportunities that are often closed to many of our nation s young people."
Richard Stopol, president of NYC Outward Bound Schools
"You won't soon forget these powerfully rendered stories of young people battling big odds to go to college, for Hold Fast to Dreams is, all in one, a great read, an educational manifesto, and a testament to the vibrant ability of kids who just need a chance to realize their dreams. This book should be on every policy maker's desk."
Mike Rose, author of Why School? and Lives on the Boundary
"
"Without sentimentality, [Steckel and Zasloff] chronicle the lives of several students and the challenges that they face." --Motoko Rich from the "What We're Reading" column in the New York Times "In the event the first lady is not in the room to offer guidance to the staffers charged with putting the White House [higher education] directives into action, somebody should slip them a copy of Beth Zasloff and Joshua Steckel's new book, Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty."
--The Chronicle of Higher Education "This is more than a heart-wrenching look at the particular struggles of 10 inner-city students. It is a profound examination of the obstacles faced by low-income students to get into and through college and the kinds of reforms needed to make higher education and the upward mobility it promises more accessible."
--Booklist "A powerful story of courage and hope that should inspire others to follow trailblazers like Steckel and his students."
--Kirkus Reviews "As the population of America's future college students becomes more diverse, stories such as Hold Fast to Dreams become ever so more important."
--Diverse: Issues in Higher Education "I love it. It was better than a good novel. I couldn't get Santiago's dilemma out of my mind. . . . It's magnificent--thank you!"
--Debbie Meier, author of Will Standards Save Public Education? and founder of the Small Schools movement "Hold Fast to Dreams is about the difficulty poorer students have in grasping the American dream. It is essential reading for those who care about the lives of all children."
--Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former op-ed columnist for the New York Times "Hold Fast to Dreams is not another manifesto extolling the benefits of college. In this important new book, Joshua Steckel and Beth Zasloff provide a heartfelt analysis of the factors that make it difficult for so many urban youth to access the opportunities that college provides. Drawing on years of direct experience counseling young people for whom college is little more than a faint dream, the authors show us what it takes to bridge the opportunity divide and use education to transform lives and expand opportunity. . . . This book is a must-read."
--Pedro Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University and author of City Schools and the American Dream "The important new book Joshua Steckel has written with Beth Zasloff, Hold Fast to Dreams, follows ten students at his former school and illuminates the dogged commitment and insider knowledge required to ensure that all students, regardless of background or circumstance, have access to the educational and economic opportunities that are often closed to many of our nation's young people."
--Richard Stopol, president of NYC Outward Bound Schools "You won't soon forget these powerfully rendered stories of young people battling big odds to go to college, for Hold Fast to Dreams is, all in one, a great read, an educational manifesto, and a testament to the vibrant ability of kids who just need a chance to realize their dreams. This book should be on every policy maker's desk."
--Mike Rose, author of Why School? and Lives on the Boundary
