FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECISION DAY 2011: Celebrating the Futures of High School Seniors Across the U.S.
Chapel Hill, NC, April 1, 2011 – In celebration of Decision Day, college advisers with the National College Advising Corps will host various events and activities across the country between April 27 and May 29, 2011. Decision Day is the day high school seniors make the decision about their post-secondary education or training plans.
“Decision Day is a great way for schools and communities to celebrate the future of its senior class,” says Nicole Hurd, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of the Advising Corps. “The purpose of this event is to promote the accomplishments of our high school seniors and to launch them on a path to degree attainment and life-long success. The Advising Corps is delighted to see students pursue higher education and we applaud them for the choices they make.”
In support of President Obama’s goal that “every American pursue some form of education beyond high school,” Decision Day events are held to praise students’ success and their commitment to post-secondary education or training, while supporting the development of a college-going culture among younger students within the high school.
Seniors are encouraged to wear t-shirts promoting the college they choose to attend or branch of the military they will join, and advisers, faculty and staff from the high school are asked to wear apparel from their alma maters.
The National College Advising Corps, with headquarters at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is an innovative program that works to increase the number of low-income, first-generation-college, underrepresented students who enter and complete higher education. Through a nationwide consortium of colleges and universities, recent graduates of partner colleges and universities are hired, trained and placed as full-time college advisers in underserved high schools throughout the US. The Advising Corps serves communities across the country to provide the guidance and encouragement that many students need to navigate the complex web of college admissions and secure financial aid.
To date, the Advising Corps has served more than 112,000 students since its inception in 2004. In school year 2010-2011, 175 advisers representing 14 institutions of higher education will reach over 65,000 students in 219 high schools.
Current partner institutions of higher education include: Brown University; Franklin + Marshall College; Pennsylvania State University; Tufts University; University of Alabama; University of California at Berkeley; University of Georgia; University of Illinois; University of Michigan; University of Missouri at Columbia; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of Texas at Austin; University of Utah; and University of Virginia; as well as a program in the State of Alaska.
For more information regarding a specific high school or activities within a specific state, or for general information about the Advising Corps, contact Mia Xavier at mmxavier@admissions.unc.edu or 919.962.5324 or visit our website at www.advisingcorps.org.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GETTING MICHIGAN STUDENTS TO COLLEGE:
Michigan State University joins with University of Michigan to get more high school students to college
Chapel Hill -- April 27, 2011: The National College Advising Corps, with headquarters at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is pleased to announce to the addition of Michigan State University (MSU) to its national collaboration. MSU will join the 15 established partnerships between the Advising Corps and prestigious colleges and universities across the country, and will work toward Michigan’s statewide goal to increase the proportion of Michigan residents with college degrees or high-quality credentials to 60% by the year 2025. MSU will collaborate with the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) to place up to sixteen recent graduates of MSU into high schools in underserved communities across Michigan. These advisers will guide students through the college admissions process and help them to identify the schools that will serve them well.
“We are thrilled to have Michigan State University join our national partnership,” said Nicole Farmer Hurd, PhD, founder and executive director of the Advising Corps. “With the support of The Kresge Foundation, we have identified Michigan as having a high need and capacity for college access services, and we are proud to be one of the organizations working in Michigan to move more students toward college enrollment and degree completion. We partner with counselors and other school administrators to work with students directly on college access issues to make sure that those who are well-qualified to attend college actually apply and enroll.”
For the 2011-2012 school year, the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) is partnering with the University of Michigan and Michigan State University to support the placement of 32 recent college graduates in urban and rural high schools throughout the state. “These corps members help Michigan move closer to our big goal of 60% educational attainment by 2025,” said Brandy Johnson, Executive Director of MCAN. “Only about 36% of Michigan adults have a college degree. The advisers will help us move the needle on our state’s college participation and completion rates, particularly among low-income, first-generation-college students, by ensuring students are prepared for college – socially, academically, informationally, and financially.”
The National College Advising Corps is an innovative program that works to increase the number of low-income, first-generation-college, underrepresented students who enter and complete higher education. Through a nationwide consortium of colleges and universities, recent graduates of partner colleges and universities are hired, trained and placed as full-time college advisers in underserved high schools in both urban and rural areas. The Advising Corps serves communities across the country to provide the guidance and encouragement that many students need to navigate the complex web of college admissions and secure financial aid. In addition, advisers work to raise the college-going rates within those schools, which is a profound indicator of whether students will take the steps necessary to actually apply and enroll.
To date, the Advising Corps has served more than 112,000 students since its inception in 2004. In school year 2010-2011, 175 advisers representing 14 institutions of higher education will reach over 65,000 students in 219 high schools. In school year 2011-2012, the number of advisers will expand to over 300 with the potential to reach over 100,000 high school students during the year.
Currently, the Advising Corps has programs in partnership with the following institutions of higher education: Brown University; Franklin & Marshall College; Penn State; Tufts University; the University of Alabama; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Georgia; the University of Illinois; the University of Michigan; the University of Missouri; the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the University of Texas at Austin; the University of Utah; and the University of Virginia; as well as a program in the State of Alaska.
For more information please visit: www.micollegeaccess.com or www.advisingcorps.org.
# # #
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECISION DAY 2011:
Celebrating the Futures of High School Seniors Across the U.S.
Chapel Hill, NC, April 1, 2011 – In celebration of Decision Day, college advisers with the National College Advising Corps will host various events and activities across the country between April 27 and May 29, 2011. Decision Day is the day high school seniors make the decision about their post-secondary education or training plans.
“Decision Day is a great way for schools and communities to celebrate the future of its senior class,” says Nicole Hurd, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of the Advising Corps. “The purpose of this event is to promote the accomplishments of our high school seniors and to launch them on a path to degree attainment and life-long success. The Advising Corps is delighted to see students pursue higher education and we applaud them for the choices they make.”
In support of President Obama’s goal that “every American pursue some form of education beyond high school,” Decision Day events are held to praise students’ success and their commitment to post-secondary education or training, while supporting the development of a college-going culture among younger students within the high school.
Seniors are encouraged to wear t-shirts promoting the college they choose to attend or branch of the military they will join, and advisers, faculty and staff from the high school are asked to wear apparel from their alma maters.
The National College Advising Corps, with headquarters at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is an innovative program that works to increase the number of low-income, first-generation-college, underrepresented students who enter and complete higher education. Through a nationwide consortium of colleges and universities, recent graduates of partner colleges and universities are hired, trained and placed as full-time college advisers in underserved high schools throughout the US. The Advising Corps serves communities across the country to provide the guidance and encouragement that many students need to navigate the complex web of college admissions and secure financial aid.
To date, the Advising Corps has served more than 112,000 students since its inception in 2004. In school year 2010-2011, 175 advisers representing 14 institutions of higher education will reach over 65,000 students in 219 high schools.
Current partner institutions of higher education include: Brown University; Franklin + Marshall College; Pennsylvania State University; Tufts University; University of Alabama; University of California at Berkeley; University of Georgia; University of Illinois; University of Michigan; University of Missouri at Columbia; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of Texas at Austin; University of Utah; and University of Virginia; as well as a program in the State of Alaska.
For more information regarding a specific high school or activities within a specific state, or for general information about the Advising Corps, contact Mia Xavier at mmxavier@admissions.unc.edu or 919.962.5324 or visit our website at www.advisingcorps.org.
# # #
Recently, we were featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, in their "Making a Difference" segment. Our Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Nicole Hurd, stressed the urgent need for college advising services in our high schools and communities, and our adviser at West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, NC, Portia Newman, spoke about what she loves most about her job.
Click here to see the segment as it aired on NBC.
Click here to see an extended interview with Dr. Hurd on msnbc.com.
Click here to see an extended interview with Portia Newman on msnbc.com.
Originally in the BattleCreekEnquirer.com
Justin A. Hinkley
Jessica Cornwell couldn't let a cold keep her from work last week. Too many kids needed her help to shape their futures.
Even in brief meetings with a reporter -- Cornwell with tissue at the ready -- interruptions came aplenty as kids streamed in and out of her small office at Battle Creek Central High School.
"Ms. Cornwell, I need to e-mail (Western Michigan University)."
"Ms. Cornwell, can we look at my grades?"
The college adviser, a recent University of Michigan graduate and a Detroit native, is running a "Bearcat2College Initiative" at Central, an effort funded in part by U-M and mostly by the National College Advising Corps. Battle Creek Public Schools wrote a grant to become one of eight Michigan districts to host a college adviser this year.
Cornwell said she'd likely be at Central for two years, but BCPS has funding for five years of college advisement.
Her office is a one-stop shop for any kind of post-high school education advice, help or instigation the students need.
She's asked students to have 1,000 college applications filed by Dec. 15. That's about four applications per student, and she's confident they'll surpass her goal. She helps students and parents apply for financial aid. She advises students on keeping their grades up and invites college and financial institutions to visit the high school. She helps students find funding to cover application fees. She also visits BCPS middle schools, encouraging kids to start thinking sooner about their futures.
"There's no down time," Cornwell said. "But I love it. This is important. There's going to be no jobs for somebody without a college education very soon."
The adviser said one of her most important tasks is finding the right school for every student, matching a student's ambitions and abilities to the school that's best for him or her.
She also hopes to educate parents and the community on the importance of continuing education. She said she's trying to create "a college-going culture" in the district.
Only several weeks into the effort, kids say it's working.
Trayana Jefferson, a 16-year-old senior at Central, began this school year with a 2.5 grade-point average. With a stronger focus on college, she raised it to a 3.3 GPA.
Jefferson said she'd thought about college before, "But then I started to have my doubts ... Then she helped me look at colleges that fit my major."
Now, Jefferson said she's applied for six colleges and has already been accepted to three.
Her classmates, Taja Kirklin and Tori Bauman, both 17-year-old seniors, said they'd applied to six and five colleges, respectively, and had been accepted to some.
"I think, before this, kids knew the basics of what schools were nice but didn't know the in-depth opportunity of it," Kirklin said.
"This makes our school better," Bauman said. "People always think Battle Creek Central has a bad reputation. To see more people headed to college, it helps our appearance. It shows people what we can do."
Justin A. Hinkley can be reached at 966-0698 or jhinkley@battlecreekenquirer.com.
Tisch College Bulletin, Tufts University, Vol. 7, No. 10, October 2010
After graduating from Tufts, citizen alumna Naiara Souto ’10 began working at Somerville High School as a College Advising Corps member. A graduate of Somerville High School herself, Souto was eager to work side by side with the school’s guidance councilors, helping students through every step of the college process.
“I was excited about being able to work with Somerville High School students,” she explained. “I was there before the College Advising Corps began and I felt like students needed more intensive support in throughout the complicated college process.”
The program, started in 2007 through a $1 million grant that Tisch College and Massachusetts Campus Compact (MACC) received from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, is in its third year at Somerville High School.
Souto, who taking the reins from Lillian O’Donnell ’07, credits O’Donnell with fostering a nurturing environment at Somerville High School.
“After my interview with Lil, she gave me her contact information so that I could contact her if I needed to,” Souto said. “She gave me tips and information on the job, but more importantly, she established a good reputation for the College Advising Corps program at Somerville High School.”
Now several months in to the role, Souto says her work is a critical complement to the traditional role of guidance councilors.
“What I enjoy the most is being able to sit and talk with students for an hour or more if they need to,” the international relations major said. “Guidance counselors are great and are very busy because they handle a lot of different things. In my role, I have the time and skills to sit with students one-on-one for as long as they need.”
In addition to her work directly with students, Souto collaborates with Tufts – Somerville High School’s university partner in the program - to provide high schoolers with opportunities to visit campus and to meet Tufts students.
Working with Walker Coppedge, Associate Director of Enrollment in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Souto has arranged for all Somerville High School freshmen to visit the Tufts campus. So far, three visits of 50 students each are scheduled for November. Coppedge, who also organizes annual campus visits for high school students from the Josiah Quincy Upper School (JQUS) in Boston’s Chinatown, has been an invaluable asset to strengthening connections between Somerville High School and Tufts.
Additionally, Souto collaborates with Let's Get Ready, helping with advertising, student inquiries, and coordination with the high school. Organized and taught by Tufts students, this program offers free SAT classes to low-income students.
With all the resources available to help students, Souto says that it’s important to support students without doing their work for them.
“The most challenging piece of this work is finding a good fit between how much you should do for students and how much they should be doing for themselves,” she explained. “Finding a balance between helping students and encouraging them to be independent is critical.”
Tisch College Bulletin, Tufts University, Vol. 7, No. 10, October 2010
“If we expect that our students can achieve what they set their minds to, we will see them flourish,” says citizen alumna Lillian O’Donnell, ’07, who recently completed three years as a College Advising Corps member before beginning graduate studies in Childhood and Special Education at NYU.
A nationwide initiative that increases college enrollment and graduation rates among low-income high school students, the Massachusetts program started in 2007 through a $1 million grant that Tisch College and Massachusetts Campus Compact (MACC) received from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. The program is also funded by the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation and the Wentworth Institute of Technology.
“The College Advising Corps is based on a powerful premise that all students do not have the same knowledge and opportunity to apply to college,” O’Donnell explained. “Many students don't have parents or family members who have been through the application process and many urban schools are not fully equipped to help every student throughout the process when the schools deal with so many other issues.”
To address these issues, the College Advising Corps places a recent college graduate to work full time with a participating high school’s guidance staff, helping students learn about and navigate the college application process. Each high school is also partnered with a nearby university – a resource the corps member can utilize for helping high school students better understand college life.
In addition to hosting the program, Tufts serves as the partner school to Somerville High School, where O’Donnell was a corps member for a year after completing her first two years at East Boston High School.
“In many of the schools the College Advising Corps is in, there are not enough counselors and hours in the day to provide the amount of guidance that is needed for students to be truly informed about financial aid, college choices, and all the many steps that go along with it,” O’Donnell said. “There is so much more that can be done to equalize opportunity for higher education in the U.S., and I think programs like the College Advising Corps are so important to both broaden opportunity and raise awareness of the issue..”
O’Donnell says that her first year in the program, working with Tufts alum and East Boston High School headmaster Mike Rubin was transformative for her.
“Mike Rubin has an amazing commitment to college access and really makes a point to celebrate his students' successes and expect more for them. High expectations are the best thing you can give to your students, as long as you are tempering it with understanding,” she said. “It was meaningful for me to see Mr. Rubin, as Headmaster and Tufts alum, because I had a sense that he valued my contribution at East Boston, even though I was someone straight out of college.”
O’Donnell was impressed by seeing how Rubin’s high expectations translated into success for his students.
“Mr. Rubin always had an attitude that the more opportunities for the students, the better,” she said. “As a result, there were several college access programs at the school, as well as many college trips for students across the grades, college representatives present in the school, and financial aid information in many forms. All this resulted in a very strong college-going culture.”
O’Donnell, who was among the first group of Corps members, says she learned a lot in her first year, and that she did her best to share that knowledge with other young alums who later came into the program.
“When a program is just beginning, you're all learning together about what your roles are, how you can most effectively work within the schools, and how you are to measure your own success,” she said. “When I finished my first year, I was exhausted, but I knew that if I came back for a second year, I could really build on the knowledge I had constructed, help more students, and really share what I had learned with new advisers.”
“I wanted to make sure no one felt as lost as I did when I first began, to provide advice and assistance when I could, and to share best strategies so we could all get down to some great work right away,” she added.
To do this, O’Donnell made herself available to other advisers by regularly checking in. “I made it a priority for us to be colleagues rather than advisers who worked very independently and saw each other occasionally,” she said. “Some returning advisers and I also began brainstorming ways to share our best practices and vital information, which I think really elevated the work we were doing in our individual schools.”
O’Donnell says it is the students she interacted with as a Corp member that really pushed her to continue this work as a career path.
“My favorite part of working with students was reading their essays. I loved seeing the ways they constructed their narratives and stories, because they all showed such intelligence, humor, and maturity,” she said. “Some students had really powerful life stories, but it wouldn't always be enough to get into a four-year school when their grades weren't there. Many students had grammatical and writing issues that stemmed from an elementary level.”
“These students had great goals for their futures, but I could only do so much as a college counselor. I realized that if I were to really affect change and help these students have better lives, I needed to reach them sooner,” O’Donnell added. “I decided to go to graduate school to become a teacher of fifth or sixth grade, so I could work in urban schools in another context. I love working with students and being another person in their lives to believe in them.”
While O’Donnell says that she ultimately wants to work in education policy, she deeply values the time she spent in the College Advising Corp, and looks forward to life in the classroom.
“The most rewarding aspect of the College Advising Corps is that you have very tangible results after a year; you see the students you worked with going off to college and know that they were able to make a truly informed decision based on finances, interests, and what they wanted for themselves,” she said. “It's a wonderful feeling. You've played the part of a motivator, a friend, and as someone who can give them as much information as you can for them to be successful in college.”
By Matt Kelly, UVA Today
September 28, 2010 — This year, 21 University of Virginia graduates will influence the lives of thousands of potential college students.
Members of the University's College Guides program, they will be stationed in the guidance offices of 19 high schools and three community colleges in Virginia, helping students who would not ordinarily consider going to college to find their way to higher education.
Last year, College Guides met with more than 16,480 Virginia high school and community college students to discuss college. Of these, 3,457 completed college applications and 2,279 were accepted to a college or university.
"We are pleased with what has been accomplished," said Keith Roots, who directs the program. "Over the last five years, the guides have helped more than 6,000 students find the right college. We are looking forward to helping even more students over the next five years."
The College Guides, which started at U.Va. in 2005 and expanded nationally in 2007, celebrated its fifth anniversary last week with a dinner at Newcomb Hall. Program founder and former faculty member Nicole Hurd, who now operates the program on a national level as executive director of the National College Advising Corps, was the keynote speaker.
"It is so exciting to see what started here in Virginia has not changed," Hurd said. "The heart of this program remains young, passionate recent graduates who are determined to make higher education possible for students who are just like them."
Following the model created at U.Va., the National College Advising Corps currently operates from 14 colleges and universities, serving more than 45,000 students in 13 states.
"As we look to our next five years, it will continue to be great partnerships with counselors, schools, and communities that will allow this work to thrive," Hurd said. "It will also be the vision and commitment of our university partners, like UVa., to produce innovative, creative and public-minded leaders who carry the message that higher education is possible for every student in our nation."
Many guides are the first generations in their families to attend college, which helps them in their mission.
"These young men and women are highly dedicated to helping high school students have a brighter future," Roots said. "Many of these graduates are very similar to the students with whom they are working, having come from similar backgrounds and circumstances."
The program changes the lives of more than high school students. Some guides have changed their own career plans after being in the program and are now working in an educational field.
Tomika Ferguson, a 2007 College of Arts & Sciences graduate in American studies, African American and African studies, had entered college thinking she would become a civil rights or corporate attorney. But working in the College Guides program solidified her move into education.
"I have always been passionate about volunteer work and giving back to my community and knew that I needed a year after college to figure out what I wanted to do with my life," Ferguson said. "The College Guides program allowed me to combine my passion for community service, college access and working with teens."
Ferguson received her master's degree in higher education and student affairs from Indiana University in May and is currently pursuing a doctorate there.
Tiffany Meertins, a 2005 U.Va. graduate, had planned to attend law school, but after a year as a College Guide, returned to U.Va. to get a master's degree in counseling from the Curry School of Education. She then worked in the admissions office at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y., and is currently assistant director of special cohorts in the office of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.
"We have been fortunate to attract some talented individuals," Roots said. "Several have decided to follow career paths in education as a result of their experience as College Guides."
This year's College Guides are:
• Amanda Adams, 23, of Newport News, who will return to Chatham and Gretna high schools. A graduate of the College with a bachelor of arts in sociology, she was the co-founder of the Dining Educators; president of ArgHOOers, a student debate group; a volunteer for Madison House; co-chair of the Admissions Committee for Hoos for Open Access, committee crisis director for Virginia Model United Nations and writer for the Education Equity Committee for the Roosevelt Institution.
• James C. Bishop III, 23, of Halifax, who will return to Dan River and Tunstall high schools. Bishop graduated from the College with degrees in history and sociology and a minor in media studies. While at U.Va., he was involved in First Year Players and Alpha Phi Omega, a national co-ed service fraternity.
• Di'Andra L. Coleman, 24, of Louisa, who will return to Louisa County High School. A religious studies graduate from the College, Coleman was a member of the Black Voices Gospel Choir and a Madison House tutor, worked with Madison House Daycare and was an Alternative Spring Break volunteer performing disaster relief in New Orleans.
• India Dillard, 22, of Martinsville, who will return to Magna Vista High School in Ridgeway. An English language and literature major in the College, she was a Ridley Scholar, a member of United Sisters, an organization to prepare young black females for leadership roles in the African-American community, a Madison House volunteer and a member of Black Alumni Weekend Committee.
• Annia Dowell-Wiltshire, 22, of Charlottesville, who will work at Skyline High School in Warren County. A history graduate in the College, she was an Echols Scholar, president and social vice president of Alpha Phi Omega, a Peer Advisor and outreach liaison at the International Studies Office.
• Chelsea Duncan, 22, of Richmond will return to Magna Vista High School in Ridgeway. A psychology and African American studies graduate from the College, she was a University Scholar, a resident adviser and a research assistant.
• Danny Eckstein, 23, of Harrisonburg, who will return to Patrick County High School in Stuart. A Spanish graduate from the College, he was a University Guide, resident adviser, orientation leader and migrant aid tutor.
• Sterling Elmore, 22, of Penn Laird, who will return to Nelson County High School. A government and religious studies graduate from the College, Elmore was in the politics distinguished majors program and was a Honor Committee support counsel; Student Council representative on the legislative affairs committee, Madison House volunteer and a member of the University Democrats.
• Theresa Gentile, 22, of Fredericksburg, who has been assigned to Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria. A government and psychology graduate from the College, she was the St. Baldrick's Foundation co-chair, a member of Alpha Phi Omega Co-ed Community Service Fraternity and a Newcomb Hall student employee.
• Whitney Hawkins, 22, of Waynesboro, who has been placed at Fluvanna County High School. Graduating from the College with a bachelor's in science in environmental sciences, she was a Jefferson Scholar, an Echols Scholar, a Lawn resident, vice president of Alternative Spring Break and president of Alpha Phi Omega.
• Tiffany Hope, 22, of Stafford, who will be working at Armstrong High School in Richmond. A religious studies graduate from the College, she was the choreography co-chair of the University Dance Club; a resident adviser; and a charter member of Hoos for Open Access, a group dedicated to increasing socioeconomic diversity at U.Va. and promoting affordable higher education.
• Keyshanna R. Jones, 23, of Stratford, Conn., who will work at Armstrong High School in Richmond. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in foreign affairs from the College.
• Ethan Jorgensen-Earp, 23, of Salem, who will return to Bassett High School in Bassett. A history graduate of the College, he was a member of Residence Life, the Class of 2009 Trustees and Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He was a committee co-chair on the Madison House Board of Directors, program director at Madison House, director of University Relations for the Student Council and co-chair of the University Peer Support Committee.
• Catherine Ruth Melton, 23, of Tallahassee, Fla., who is assigned to T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria. A College graduate in history, with a minor in art history, she held several executive positions in Alpha Phi Omega national co-ed community service fraternity and is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
• Liz Menter, 22, of Virginia Beach, who will be working at Orange County High School. A religious studies graduate from the College, she was treasurer of the Alpha Phi Omega co-ed community service fraternity, a family support intern and interpreter services intern at the International Rescue Committee, trainer and public relations committee member of the University Transit Service and an Alternative Spring Break participant.
• Jill Pritzker, 21, of Woodbridge, who will return to Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale. She graduated with distinction in three years with degrees in art history and economics from the College. She was a volunteer at the University Art Museum, and a contributor to the Oculus, the Cavalier Daily and several literary publications. She received a grant for an independent student arts project in creative writing.
• Reshaud Rich, 23, of Norfolk, who will work at Charlottesville High School. A sociology graduate of the College, he is co-founder of Financial Literacy for Youth.
• Danielle G. Riffe, 22, of Bluefield, W.Va., who will return to Patrick Henry and Holston high schools in Washington County. Riffe is a history graduate of the College.
• Nitika Sethi, 22, of Oakton, who will be working at William Monroe High School in Greene County. A Spanish and foreign affairs graduate of the College, she was the social chair of U.Va. Art Museum docents and a founder of College Access for Everyone at Charlottesville High School.
• Crystal St. Bernard, 22, of Arima, Trinidad and Tobago and Hyattsville, Md., who will return to Piedmont Virginia Community College. She graduated with a degree in religious studies from the College.
• Thurman M. Winfrey Jr., 22, of Paterson, N.J., who will be working at George Washington High School in Danville. He graduated with a degree in history from the College.
— By Matt Kelly
By Betz Kerley, Georgia Magazine, Autumn 2010
UGA’s Institute of Higher Education, in partnership with the Watson-Brown Foundation of Thomson and the National College Advising Corps, has begun an innovative program to recruit and train recent UGA graduates to work full time as college advisers in selected high schools across Georgia.
The Georgia College Advising Corps, working alongside professional high school guidance counselors, assists underrepresented and low-income students enroll in colleges that fit their academic profiles, career goals and personal circumstances. The advisers assist students in the admissions process, in applying for financial aid and in preparing for the SAT. They arrange college visitations and help students write an application essay. Currently four UGA graduates are working as advisers at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, Westside High School in Augusta and Thomson High School in Thomson.
To view a pdf of the full article, click here.
By Luisa Robledo, The Brown Daily Herald, Thursday, September, 2010
For many high school students in Rhode Island, going to college seems like a long-lost dream, an unfeasible future. But the National College Advising Corps at Brown aims to make this "mission impossible" possible with the work of undergraduates and recent graduates who serve as college guides in local high schools.
Creating possibilities
"A lot of times, these kids think that college is not for them because they don't know anyone who has gone," said Emily Rodriguez '09, a college guide at Woonsocket High School. "Our main goal is to close that gap."
Funded by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and AmeriCorps, the program was established in Rhode Island about three years ago. In a statewide effort to increase access to and vision for higher education, the corps now has a strong presence within 12 chosen schools in six urban districts, said Roger Nozaki MAT'89, director of the Swearer Center for Public Service.
College guides like Rodriguez are recent college graduates who enroll in the AmeriCorps program, which offers them a full-time position for two years.
Each school gets a recent graduate, usually from Brown or the University of Rhode Island, who works as a liaison with college guidance staff and helps students through every step of the application process, Nozaki explained. At 300:1, the student-to-guidance counselor ratio is huge, he added, so having more people available to assist truly makes a difference.
"We get fantastic guys every year who are effective at the schools and at building relationships with the staff, the kids and their families," Nozaki said.
‘All about college success'
Helping families understand how to finance higher education is fundamental, said Ralph Johnson, program director for the corps at Brown.
"Just because the cost of college is high does not mean students shouldn't be going," Johnson said, adding that the corps offers to help students fill out their financial aid forms.
"Sometimes the families get overwhelmed when they start filing for financial aid," said Ashley Greene '09, college guide at Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School in Providence. "They don't get why colleges want all that financial information from them."
Greene added that, as college guides, they also help students register and prepare for standardized tests and build comprehensive resumes.
"It's exciting work for all of us," she said. "With a little bit of a push, these kids reach a height of potential that you didn't realize they had."
Last year, one of Greene's students, who spent his entire academic career in the special education program, got into Rhode Island College. "It was very fulfilling," she said. "It was the school of his choice."
In an e-mail to The Herald, Nozaki wrote that "by the end of last school year, 91 percent of the students with whom the Guides worked reported actively pursuing college," showing just how much a little bit of help and advice can do for these students.
As the students succeed and make it to college, Greene said, the corps continues to assist them.
"We are all about college success - it's not just about getting them in," she said. "It's about getting them out with a degree."
Through a partnership with the Community College of Rhode Island and by staying in touch with the students during the summer, the corps ensures the students receive the necessary support and motivation, Greene added.
An early start
Undergraduates also get involved in the advising corps. About 10 members of the Brown community can work eight to 10 hours a week to expand the outreach that the corps can have.
These "undergraduate access scholars" take on many of the same tasks as college guides and serve as a helping hand on site. "You don't have to wait to graduate," Greene said. "It's a great way to give back."
Aadon Penny '11 became an access scholar two years ago. As an undergraduate member of the corps, he comes back to Providence two weeks before winter break ends to fully devote himself to the students. This period also allows him to immerse himself in the school and to have more one-on-one meetings.
"What we do is beneficial all around," Penny said. "My job validates itself at the end of the year when students come up to me and say, ‘Thank you, Aadon.' "
University program trains alumni as college advisers for schools in need
By Jennifer Ifebi, Daily Texan Staff, Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Students in some of the state’s high schools will benefit this year from a new University program that trains recent UT graduates to become college advisers in under-served schools.
Already operating in 13 states and 15 schools across the nation, the National College Advising Corps has set up a Texas branch, which will place 16 advisers in high-need schools in Houston, San Antonio and the Rio Grande valley. The corps originated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008.
The Texas College Advising Corps, which received private and public grants for the project, is a part of the UT System’s Institute for Public School Initiatives created in 2004.
Program coordinator Emily Watson said hiring young graduates will most likely help high school students relate to the advisers, who are allowed to serve for up to two years.
“Because they’re close in age with the students, they may be able to reach the students more than Matt [Orem, director of the Texas branch] and I,” she said.
Watson said the program plans to expand to different parts of the state next year, going from 16 to 120 advisers.
UT alumnus Jacob Pietsch started his first year as an adviser with the program at Westbury High School in Houston with a student body of 2,000. As a first-generation college graduate, he wanted to spend more one-on-one time with students, he said, adding that the average time a counselor gets to speak with a graduating senior about college options is about 20 minutes.
“My counselors were always busy and it was always hard to grab a hold of them,” he said. “I had to do a lot of self-searching.”
Those involved in the corps are also tasked with planning parent and family events that promote a college-going culture — a major task considering that some students come from “an unstable home,” said UT alumna D’andrea Young, an adviser who works at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston.
She said the corps’ job is to educate students on what they need to do to apply to colleges and receive financial aid, such as applying for SAT fee waivers.
“I know the fear and anxiety these students have,” she said. “I wish I had someone to help me. I can’t even begin to explain how much I love my job. I’ve only been working here for two weeks.”