Noting that an increasing number of residents are immigrants, Nze stresses their desires for upward mobility.

"When you come here from another country, you have great appreciation for everything," she says. "The emphasis is on getting the best, and that means Harvard, that means MIT. For Cambridge families, it definitely means attending one of the two big schools."

Lili Allen: Counselor

Lili Allen, the director and spokesperson of the non-profit CCS, works with many of Cambridge's less fortunate residents every day.

Allen informs residents about the social services available in Cambridge. She also writes grant proposals and directs youth employment and education programs.

She is especially proud of the school-to-work partnership she has established with Rindge and Latin High School.

Because many students speak languages in addition to English, they are attractive candidates for interpreters. The Cambridge Hospital Network also hires many students for laboratory work.

Because the program helps students understand a connection between education and the real world, Allen says she believes it is a "tremendous success."

"We have a student in the program who didn't think she'd go to college and now she is," Allen says. "Then we have a student who's already been accepted to MIT."

But not every case is successful. Allen relates with sorrow the tale of a teenage boy who had to take two jobs to help his linguistically-impaired parents pay living expenses.

The sleep-deprived youngster's grades soon slipped. When the teacher called home to express concern about the tendency to sleep during class, his parents beat him for bringing shame upon the family, she says.

Kovacev: Self-Sufficiency

Jo Anne E. Kovacev, director of Cambridge's Parent to Parent program, focuses on helping disadvantaged residents and immigrants.

Parent to Parent matches Cambridge residents with their disadvantaged neighbors, helping them adjust to life in a suburban residential setting.

Mentors might invite the family out for social gatherings, or simply tell them where the nearest laundromat or the best bagel store is located, according to Kovacev.