Community Mentoring Program At Willsboro Central School Puts Students On The Path To College

Tis’ the season for gift giving and what better gift to receive than a ticket to your future. Over the upcoming weeks, 15 students from Willsboro Central School in the rural Adirondacks, like thousands of other college bound students nationwide, are anxiously waiting for their perfect gift to arrive–their college acceptance letters.

The college application, admissions process is fraught with twists and turns. What’s the right fit? Will I be accepted? How will I pay for college? Willsboro Central School students have some additional support as they move down that path. In 2007, they launched a community-based mentoring program—to provide outside support and guidance along this journey.

“We have twenty mentors from the local community that meet with our juniors and seniors each month to help them through the college application process,” said Stephen Broadwell, Superintendent of Willsboro Central School.

Supported by College For Every Student (CFES), a non-profit organization that has made college a reality for more than 75,000 low-income youth, the Willsboro Community Mentor program consists of a range of volunteers. In addition, to a retired college president, local author, and several business leaders, four CFES staff members are helping Willsboro students make college lists, secure financial aid, and research scholarships.

“We are extremely fortunate to have the CFES National Headquarters located within our school district and we have tapped into their expertise,” said Broadwell. “The first step to a successful mentoring program is matching mentors and mentees and our students find a tremendous amount of value in working with someone who is neither their teacher nor their parent. It’s amazing how quickly the bonds form.”

Opening Their Eyes And Opportunities For What’s Next In Life

“Although each mentor-mentee experience is unique, one fact remains,” noted Broadwell.”The relationship helps these students ‘to think with a different set of eyes’ for what the future can hold for them.”

Last year, Kim Calhoun, a CFES Program Coordinator was paired with her mentee, Lilly Kelly. “I care a lot about Lilly,” said Calhoun. “She is a talented young lady with enormous potential. She just needs to figure out her post high school plans and I’m helping her do that.”

Recently, Calhoun took a five-hour road trip with Kelly to visit Colby Sawyer College in New Hampshire – a college Calhoun thought would be a good fit, given Kelly’s interest in the arts.

“Lilly keeps me on my toes,” laughed Calhoun. “Only two weeks ago, she was preparing to enlist in the military.” Calhoun urged her to keep an open-mind, after Kelly admitted to being overwhelmed by the college process. “I told her I would be with her every step of the way – from completing the college application process in a very short time-frame, to helping her find financial aid and scholarship opportunities.” Kelly now waits, with the thousands of students across the country to hear about her acceptance to Colby Sawyer.

“Gabi has always been college bound,” said CFES’ Communications Director, Aubrey Bresett about her mentee, Gabi Yeager. “My charge as her mentor is finding out which college will make the best fit.” Bresett spent the week before Thanksgiving helping Yeager, who she has been working with for two years, explore scholarship opportunities. “Taking time out of my days to mentor is refreshing. Not only have I been able to help Gabi forge her college path, I’ve been able to connect with her on a personal level,” Bresett noted. “My goal is to prepare and support Gabi through this transition, especially since she’s planning to go away to college. But as much as I give to this relationship, I get so much more.”

Emily Owens, CFES’ Development Officer, has two mentees – one applying to college, the other in the planning stages. Her involvement ranges from helping one student choose an essay topic she’s passionate about and reflects her character, to putting together a comparison grid of colleges to help her other mentee zero in on the type of college she’s interested in. “I really believe it’s essential for these students to know that there are people who care about their success and are willing to invest the time to support their future.” said Owens. “Mentoring enables me to have a direct impact on the lives of students in my community, hear their stories, share their experiences and cheer them on through their academic years.”

Like Calhoun, Tara Smith, CFES’ Vice President for Programs, also took a road trip with her mentee this year. “There have been many colleges that Kat has been interested in, but the University of Albany has always remained at the top of her list,” said Smith. “So, I took a day off of work and we drove down for a visit.” Since then, the two have worked on the early admission application to Albany and Katherine Belize (Kat) has applied to five other schools.

“In the ten years I’ve worked with CFES, I have seen the positive impact and far-reaching effects of our work but the one-on-one mentoring I do at Willsboro Central School has allowed me to see the direct impact that I – personally – can have on a student,” Smith stated. “Being a mentor makes me a better professional in the college access realm but more importantly, my mentee has made me a better person. She is the best reminder of why I do the work I do, every day.”

Broadwell added, “The CFES staff are truly committed to helping young people and their enthusiasm and excitement is evident as soon as they enter the school. They not only ‘talk the talk’ but at Willsboro they ‘walk the walk’ regarding involvement, commitment and helping students.”

“This is the reality of what we do at CFES,” remarked Calhoun. “I spend a lot of time at my desk and on the phone – this is CFES in real life. It’s energizing and brings purpose to what I do each day.” There are currently 39 students participating in the mentoring program, 24 of whom are juniors.

Related articles

• CFES Rural-Urban Exchange (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• 25 Schools Receive CFES “Schools of Distinction” Honor (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• Old Willsboro school reborn for seniors (northcountrypublicradio.org)
• Ron Jackson Inducted into WCS Wall of Distinction (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)