Lindbergh Senior High School is one of four high schools and one of the two partner schools in the Renton School District where College Possible coaches serve. In April, College Possible board and staff members were invited to meet with the coaches and students to tour the school through the students’ eyes. This team includes the high school junior coach Iman, high school senior coach Gyssel, and program manager Anna Brigden. Both Iman and Gyssel are returning AmeriCorps members, with Iman serving her third term and Gyssel serving her second term as high school coaches.
Board and staff members started their visit to Lindbergh High School in the new, joint Counseling and Opportunity Center. Lindbergh High School has undergone construction for the past three school years – one of the renovations being a re-imagined counseling and career center space. College Possible coaches have been lucky to call this new space their home this year, as the high school coaches work closely with the counselors and Career Center staff. This year the senior cohort is made up of 18 students, and the junior cohort is made up of 15 students (and continues to grow). College Possible has provided one on one support to over 340 Lindbergh students since partnering with them in the 2016–2017 school year.
So far this year, Lindbergh seniors have received 47 college acceptances and have been offered over $200k in scholarships. As they continue to hear back from colleges and receive their financial aid awards, Gyssel supports them through making tough college decisions and understanding the financial implications of their aid letters. Junior students are well into their preparations for senior year. So far this year, they have added over 70 schools to their college lists. Junior students will be spending the remainder of the year finishing their personal statement drafts.
A tour of the school was guided by two current students in the College Possible program attending Lindbergh, Kate (senior) and Robert (RJ) (junior). The students showed off the many new enhancements to the school, including the new science rooms, which had new instruments to further amplify the learning environment. College Possible board and staff members also got to learn about the students themselves.
Kate is a dedicated member of her community and she is involved with the Filipino club, ASB, choir, robotics, and she’s the student representative for the School Board meetings. This fall Kate will be attending the University of Washington Bothell.
RJ balances his time between rigorous academics and his role at the Renton Recreation Center. His dream is to attend college and major in education, where he aims to inspire future generations with his knowledge and enthusiasm. RJ aspires to join the Young Executives of Color, a program through the University of Washington that aims to increase the number of underrepresented students in the college pipeline, specifically at the UW Foster School of Business.
