“Where Princeton Nelson came from, a college education wasn’t just at the outer edges of possibility, it was beyond imagination…”
So begins Won’t Lose This Dream, the inspiring story of a public university that has blazed an extraordinary trail for lower-income and first-generation students in downtown Atlanta, the birthplace of the civil rights movement. Over the past decade Georgia State University has upended the conventional wisdom that large numbers of students are doomed to fail simply because of their economic background or the color of their skin. Instead, it has harnessed the power of big data to identify and remove the obstacles that previously stopped them from graduating and completely transformed their prospects. A student from a mediocre high school working two jobs to make ends meet is now no less likely to succeed than a child of wealth and privilege—an earth-shaking achievement that is reverberating across every college campus in the country.
With unique access to the key players and drawing on his skills as an investigative reporter, Andrew delivers a thrilling, blow-by-blow account of a long battle to determine whether universities exist for their students or vice versa. The story is told through the visionary leaders who overcame fierce resistance to tear up the rules of their own institution and through the many remarkable students whose resilience and determination, often against daunting odds, inspired the work at every stage. Their success shows how the promise of social advancement through talent and hard work, the essence of the American dream, can be rekindled even in an age of deep inequalities and divisive politics.
PRAISE FOR WON’T LOSE THIS DREAM:
***WINNER of the Judy Turner Prize from the Decatur Book virtual festival event that took place on September 11 here. It features Cary Claiborne and Tyler Mulvenna, both profiled in the book, as well as me, and is moderated by Maureen Downey of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
***NAMED one of “five important books that demand the attention of anyone worried about the future of the U.S.” by Kirkus Reviews
“The months spent researching the details of GSU’s renaissance, especially the remarkable stories of its students, was an epiphany that comes through in Gumbel’s narrative style—unsentimental but inspired and urgent.” Erin Aubry Kaplan in Red Canary Magazine
“Gumbel relies on clear analysis and rich anecdotes… A superb work.” Library Journal (starred review)
“Well researched and provocative… accessible and inspirational… [T]his enthusiastic account lays out a persuasive vision for reform. Educators and policy makers should consider it a must-read.” — Publishers Weekly
“Required reading for education reformers seeking to broaden community connections and benefit minority constituencies.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Heartfelt…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.” — Shelf Awareness
LINKS TO MEDIA COVERAGE:
- A list of favorite books inspired by my work on Won’t Lose This Dream, published by the bibliophile website Shepherd.com.
- Why the meritocracy at the heart of the American Dream is now due for a comeback, and why the ideas developed at Georgia State point in the right direction. An essay published by Engelsberg Ideas.
- How Georgia State students have actually performed better during the Covid-19 pandemic, the ultimate stress test of the university’s student support infrastructure. In The Guardian.
- Essay by Erin Aubry Kaplan, Q&A, extract, and video in the inaugural issue of Red Canary Magazine
- Feature in Zocalo Public Square focusing on the racial equity question
- Extract and Q&A in Atlanta magazine
- Q&A with Eric Stirgus of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- WATCH an October 1, 2020 event hosted by the Georgia State Alumni Association and featuring Mark Becker, Tim Renick, Allison Calhoun-Brown, Gabriel Woods and Jovan Paige as well as me
Won’t Lose This Dream: How an Upstart Urban University Rewrote the Rules of a Broken System, is available now from Amazon, BookShop.org, and many other booksellers.