In this installment of My Breakthrough Why, we are excited to introduce Schucayb Harir, a 2026 Blake alum who has worked with Breakthrough Minneapolis at Blake for the last three years as both a volunteer and summer intern. He shares a bit about his experience here.

Breakthrough Minneapolis at Blake truly changed my perspective on education. This year I applied to colleges, and for most schools, I’m applying as an education/urban studies major—mostly because of the work I did with Breakthrough.

I’m really grateful to have spent these last few years with this program. With Breakthrough, I gained confidence and learned to advocate for myself. The kids taught me so much about what it means to be a leader, and I hope to continue to work on myself through higher education. I also wouldn’t have been able to visit colleges without Breakthrough, so thanks for giving me a taste of the liberal arts college experience (shoutout to Macalester and St. Olaf).”