For many student-athletes, the discipline learned on the track does not end at the finish line — it can become a foundation for academic ambition, college access, and long-term opportunity. At a moment when young people are navigating rising college costs, uneven access to counseling, and growing uncertainty around higher education, programs that connect athletics, academics, and personal support are taking on new importance. At The Armory Foundation in Washington Heights, that connection is more than a theory: since 2016, Armory College Prep has maintained a 100% four-year college acceptance rate for its seniors. The stakes are clear for first-generation and underserved students, many of whom need not only academic guidance, but also exposure, confidence, and a sense of belonging.

So what happens when a track-and-field institution becomes a launchpad for college access, career exploration, and community transformation?

Welcome to DisruptED. In the latest episode, host Ron J. Stefanski speaks with Rita Finkel, Co-President of The Armory Foundation, and Clayton Harding, Director of College Counseling for Armory College Prep. Their conversation explores how the historic Armory has evolved from a former homeless shelter into a hub for athletics, education, health, and community programming — and how its college prep model helps students translate the discipline of sports into academic persistence and long-term opportunity.

Top insights from the talk…

Athletics becomes a bridge to academics. Harding explains that student-athletes already understand the value of practice, discipline, and measurable improvement. Armory College Prep helps them apply that same mindset to grades, test preparation, essays, college applications, and persistence through graduation.
College access requires exposure and trust. The program takes students beyond New York City to visit small liberal arts colleges, private universities, SUNY and CUNY campuses, and other institutions they may not have considered. Finkel and Harding emphasize that seeing a campus firsthand can help students and families overcome “sticker shock” and understand how financial aid can make a private college more affordable than expected.
The Armory model is high-touch and long-term. With a strong adult-to-student ratio, structured SAT/ACT preparation, essay coaching, alumni mentorship, college visits, and paid summer internship support, the program focuses not only on college admission, but also on college completion and career development.

Rita Finkel serves as Co-President and COO of The Armory Foundation, where she has spent more than 20 years leading operations, strategy, finance, and youth-serving programs. She previously served as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Finance at the Armory and has played a major role in advancing the organization’s athletic, educational, and community impact work. Before joining the Armory, she was Executive Director of Fencers Club, where she oversaw membership development, coach recruitment, and day-to-day operations.

Clayton Harding serves as Director of College Counseling at Armory College Prep, where he has spent more than 12 years guiding students through college admissions, academic planning, financial aid, and long-term success. He has previously served as Interim Director of College Success, supporting alumni with paid internship placement, academic resources, graduate school applications, resume writing, mock interviews, networking, and career readiness. Earlier in his career, he co-owned and led test-prep organizations, including Bell Curves/The ProTesters and PLR Publishing, where he developed K-12 and LSAT preparation programs and co-authored test-prep materials.