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collier citizenGOLDEN GATE ESTATES | GOLDEN GATE | NORTH NAPLES | EAST NAPLES | NAPLES

YOUR COMMUNITY. YOUR FRIENDS. YOUR NEWS. | colliercitizen.com

10.22.16SATURDAY

ON A QUESTHow one womanhelps hundreds

of studentssucceed

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MAKING MUSICNAPLES PIANIST MARCHES TO THEBEAT OF HER OWN KEYS PAGE 26A

LIFE IS HEALDTHE CIRCLE OF LIFE, FROM ALLBLANK TO THE FISH TANK PAGE 8A

ONE LASTMISSION

WWII PILOT SEEKS TO HELPRETURNING VETERANSWITH PTSD PAGE 22A

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28A Saturday, October 22, 2016 colliercitizen.com +

Editor’s note: This is the latest storyin the “#SWFLstrong” series, profiling in-dividuals making a positive difference inthe community. These articles will befeatured on a regular basis in the CollierCitizen, Marco Eagle and The Banner.

Graffiti fills the walls of Sue Zum-stein’s office, but it’s not spray paint. In-stead, scores of high school studentshave signed her walls, leaving a shortnote, proudly stating what collegethey’re attending thanks to Quest forSuccess.

The nonprofit organization, startedback in 1994, has one goal — help highschool student prepare for their collegeor university career.

“We started out 24 years ago helpingpoverty-level children getting to andthrough college,” Zumstein said. “Everyyear, we talk to the eighth grade counsel-ors, and we try to find their best and theirbrightest, but who are also on free or re-duced lunch. There is really no way thatthey’re going to go through this collegeapplication process on their own, but atthe same time, they also aren’t going tobe able to pay for college.”

Now, 921 students have been throughthe program with another 381 currentlyenrolled. Students from every walk oflife are accepted. Those who can affordit pay a fee for the service. However,about 40 percent of students cannot andneed some help.

“Our non-fee students are eithersponsored by our Quest Foundation or bylocal people in the community,” Zum-stein said. “So while we don’t hand any-one a college scholarship, we hope that,while they’re here, we’re giving them thetools to find ways to pay for college.”

After being selected normally as highschool freshman, employees work withstudents to find where they want to go inlife, Quest for Success Chairman TomGrady said.

“We try to figure out what theirstrengths are; what they’re interests areso we have some idea what their careerchoices are,” he said. “The end game is agood job and good lives for these kids.”

Since Zumstein started as a vol-unteer 20 years ago, she and thestaff at Quest have become one ofthe reasons the nonprofit has be-come so strong, board memberRick Mellon said.

“Sue is titled executive director,but she’s not their boss,” he said.“She’s their co-worker — a mentor,someone to go to, as well as for stu-dents. At this point of time, withoutSue Zumstein, I don’t see Quest being assuccessful. It’d be like a ship withoutrudder. She’s the thing keeping Questmoving forward.”

Most of this success isn’t necessarilythe years of experience working with re-cruiters or knowledge of college prepa-ration tests — it’s much more personal.

“She develops very personal relation-ships, and she’s a key ingredient for oursuccess,” Grady said.

A United States map hangs on Zum-stein’s wall, pricked with dozens of nee-dles, each one marking a place graduatesare going to college. Pins spanned thecountry from California to New Yorkand everywhere in between.

When asked about a few locations,Zumstein named every student who at-tended that specific institution. She re-counted how a student who went to theUniversity of Richmond had an intern-ship with the Virginia Secretary ofState’s office; how an Albanian immi-grant opened a bank in Costa Rica andhow a girl went to the University of Wyo-ming because of her love of trout fishing.

The story of Ruben, who emigratedfrom Cuba when he was 4 years old,stands out in her mind.

“(Ruben) and his mother lived in afriend’s garage for many years,” shesaid. “He learned how to speak Englishby watching cartoons on TV. He’s now at(the United States Military Academy atWest Point), serving in the military andgiving back to this country that he sayshas given him so many opportunities.

“It touches my heart so much,” Zum-stein continued. “The day he was on hisway up to the airport, he came in to giveme a hug and say goodbye. Of course,when they’re at West Point, (the mili-tary) takes their phones; they take thecomputers, everything. (Students) can

haveno elec-tronic com-munication. AndRuben says to me, ‘Pleasewrite me letters.’ So I did, and we wroteback and forth this summer. Then, hesays, ‘I miss my mom. I miss my mom somuch. But I can’t write her that, becausethen that will even be hard for her, and itwould make her miss me even more.’Those are some of the high-achievingstudents we have.”

After our interview, she stepped outof the office into the work area. A fewdozen students sat at tables or loungedon a sofa, chatting or working on a col-lege application. The room went silent —the high schoolers were a little intimidat-ed by the press.

“Alright, who needs help,” she said tothe quiet group.

“I do,” high school senior AmandaTheobald said immediately.

The talking and typing started again.The two worked on one of Theobald’s

college essays. After 20 years, Zumsteinknows what a college recruiter is lookingfor in an application.

“I sent her my essays for college, andshe’s revising them and cutting themdown so they fit in this application,” shesaid. “It’s a lot of work, and there’s a lot ofus. And I’m applying to 11 schools.”

Zumstein does this check for everysingle essay for every single student.

“Not an application goes out withoutme or Amy reviewing it,” she said. “Wehelp edit every essay. They can have an

Eng-lish

teach-er do it,

but I don’tknow the

last time anEnglish teacher

talked with a collegeadmissions officer and

found out what they’re look-ing for.”

Going a step further, she gives everystudent her cell phone number — all 921of them.

Theobald started her time with Questher freshman year and has spent scoresof hours working with the staff. Shecame to the center at 10:30 a.m. on a no-school Wednesday and stayed past 3p.m., working on essays and applicationswith her friends and a little help fromemployees like Zumstein.

“I’ll typically come in for 2-3 hours atleast once a week,” Theobald said.

And the time that students come in isthe most important to Zumstein, and hasthe most profound effect on her. She be-gan volunteering soon after her firsthusband died in a car accident, and Questfor Success soon became a central partof her life.

“This program and my ability to af-fect the lives — which I always hope is ina positive way — of these kids has per-sonally, for me, made sense out of some-thing that I could find no sense to at all,”she said. “When I said it was my thirdchild, I wasn’t kidding. At all. I will con-tinue to do this until I can’t do it anymorebecause I feel so deeply about it.”

To nominate an individual for the“#SWFLstrong” series, contact reporterThaddeus Mast at 239-263-4764 or thad-deus.mast@naplesnews.com.

PHOTOS BY DOROTHY EDWARDS / STAFF

Executive Director Susan Zumstein works with students at the QuestCollege Success offices in Naples on Oct. 12. Quest is designed to help highschool students prepare for college. Inset: Zumstein, left, works withNaples senior Amanda Theobald.

THADDEUS MASTSTAFF

How one woman helps hundreds of students succeed

cover story

On a Quest