Ian Klein, a Drake University graduate, is now in his second year serving with College Possible. Pursuing a career in public service has long been of interest to Ian. In his senior year of college, he found College Possible and was intrigued by its mission to make college more accessible to students from underserved communities.
Attending college provided Ian with many opportunities to learn more about himself, to explore passions, to gain professional experience, and more. Now, as a College Possible college access coach, he gets to support students who have those same opportunities to grow and expand their horizons. “It is an incredible feeling to see the high school students I work with advance toward realizing their dream of a college education,” said Ian.
Through its work, College Possible empowers students as they work to turn the dream of a college education into a reality. By providing students with support and personalized assistances through a near-peer coaching model, the barriers that stand in the way of attending college become less daunting. Each student’s “why” for wanting to attend college is unique, and College Possible exists to support students with the “how” of getting there.
As a second year AmeriCorps member, Ian has had the privilege of working with about 70 senior students on their path toward higher education. “The profound uniqueness of each student’s motivation for attending college acts as a daily reminder of how college can unlock so many opportunities and paths for students to achieve their dreams,” said Ian. “It can be especially impactful to see students recognize when they are getting closer and closer to turning their dreams into a reality.”
This school year, Ian worked with one student in particular who has been especially keen to complete college readiness tasks. The student frequently attends College Possible programming, asks questions, and has worked hard to complete their college applications. Having witnessed the progress of the student made it a joy for Ian to be with them when they received their first notification of acceptance into college. The student had told him that they wanted to discuss a message they had received from the college they applied to, and upon showing Ian the message, he got the chance to explain to the student that this was an official notice that they could attend college.
“The satisfaction on the faces of students in moments like this is what makes this service so rewarding,” said Ian. “The students I serve are hard-working, dedicated, and committed to bettering their own future; and yet, there are still those moments of pure joy upon the realization that the hard-work, dedication, and commitment has led to tangible proof of their goals coming to fruition.”
If committing to a year of AmeriCorps service at College Possible to help empower the dreams of students in your community sounds like time well spent, join us at one of our upcoming information sessions to learn more. Register today!
