As a first in my immediate family to graduate from college I was very interested in this book. The actual experience can be incredibly daunting if you don't already have generational assistance to help you navigate through to success at something that has a high cost for failure. This book provided a deep dive into the experiences of the students as well as the policies in place to help them overcome the many challenges that cause so many students who are at risk of dropping out to do so.

A fascinating read an important look at how Georgia state changed the system to bring in kids who live on the edge of society.Giving this group of children a chance is an amazing way to change a life.This is an excellent book for group discussion, #netgalley#newpress

A version of this review previously appeared in Shelf Awareness and is republished here with permission.

Princeton Nelson was at a crossroads. He was born in prison, his parents convicted of dealing drugs. He attended an institution for kids with emotional and behavioral problems. He ran with gangs and carried a gun. Through it all, Princeton was a good student with natural intelligence. If it hadn't been for Georgia State, however, Princeton might have had a different end than graduating with a computer science degree and a 3.3 GPA.

When Princeton applied in 2016, Georgia State was gaining a "national reputation for its pioneering work" helping students like him--poor, Black and struggling to make it as the first in their family to attend college. "What is remarkable about Georgia State students is that despite the precariousness of many of their lives, they still graduate in extraordinary numbers." The six-year graduation rate is close to 60%, well above the national average.

Won't Lose This Dream is the remarkable story of how Georgia State revamped its system to help students on the edge flourish and succeed. "This is not just about the lives of a few unusually tenacious and talented individuals. We are talking about a fundamental transformation, a real-time experiment in social mobility that the university has learned to perform consistently, and at scale." Journalist Andrew Gumbel's well-researched account is backed up with hard statistics but remains far from tedious. Infused with background from the school's administration, particularly those who pushed for difficult change amid recession, and student success stories, it is a heartfelt and hard-won template for success.