Give Something Back, a nonprofit organization that has provided more than $35 million in college scholarships to low-income students, has named youth advocate and entrepreneur Melissa Helmbrecht as its new executive director.

“Melissa is an astonishingly capable and accomplished person, and Give Something Back is very proud to have her on board,” said Robert Carr, Give Back founder and CEO. “She combines a wide-ranging philanthropic vision with an enviable ability to get things done. With her leadership, Give Back will be able to help even more deserving students go to college and pursue career goals that would otherwise be out of their reach.”

Under the Give Back program, academically-eligible students from lower-income families are mentored through high school. Students are required to complete a college prep curriculum, to maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA throughout high school, and to demonstrate good character. After graduation, scholars attend one of the organization’s partner universities and colleges in Illinois, Delaware, California, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.