{"id":1723,"date":"2017-10-19T17:59:33","date_gmt":"2017-10-19T17:59:33","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2021-08-03T16:36:20","modified_gmt":"2021-08-03T16:36:20","slug":"rollupoursleeves-kuhu-saha-of-merit-goodness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourstories.shinola.com\/our-stories\/rollupoursleeves-kuhu-saha-of-merit-goodness\/","title":{"rendered":"#RollUpOurSleeves: Kuhu Saha of Merit Goodness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every 60 seconds in America, a student drops out of high school. Merit<\/a>, a Detroit-based social enterprise started in 2012, is conquering this cause by selling thoughtfully designed products<\/a> that benefit student scholarships.<\/p>\n

As Executive Director of nonprofit arm, Give Merit<\/a>, Kuhu Saha helps to combine a cause-based fashion brand with shaping the future of Detroit\u2019s high school students.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur primary goal is to help young people in City of Detroit do three things:  aspire, believe, and contribute,\u201d Kuhu says. \u201cWe believe that we’ve failed as a community in providing the space for young people to dream and aspire.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Every purchase made through Merit apparel donates 20% of the profit to Give Merit<\/a>, directly contributing to scholarship funds for students in the Give Merit FATE program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FATE<\/a> is a four-year, cohort-based program that follows students from 9th through 12th grade. Its aim is to implement the resources necessary and provide opportunities for Detroit\u2019s youth to embrace education and actively engage with and contribute to their community, with an end goal of motivating each student to complete high school and attend college.<\/p>\n

Students are awarded $5,000 scholarships through Merit\u2019s FATE program<\/a> \u2014 FATE is a program of Merit’s non-profit, Give Merit<\/a>, which takes on 25 high school students every year for a cohort-based mentorship program that offers resources to help them graduate on-time and get to college. <\/p>\n

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Compared to non-program students, studies have shown that FATE students graduate high school with higher GPA\u2019s, less absences, and 100 percent college acceptance rate to at least one of their chosen universities. With Kuhu Saha\u2019s leadership, students experience unparalleled personal developments in social and cultural awareness, career aspirations, and academic enrichment. <\/p>\n