Qiana Dukek, a 2023 graduate of St. Catherine University, joined College Possible as an AmeriCorps coach in August 2024. She got involved with College Possible because she wanted to further her experience in the world of education.
How did you get involved with College Possible? What motivated you?
I got involved with College Possible because I wanted to further my experience in the world of education. I have always loved education, and a teaching assistant position reignited my passion. From that experience, I learned that I appreciated a holistic skills approach to supporting students. College Possible helps students get planning, discipline, and research skills that can be used in a wide array of contexts. That was what I wanted: A job that allowed me to equip students with skills they can use in many different ways in multiple areas of life.
Can you tell me about a memorable experience with a student? What were you helping them with? What did you learn from your interaction with that student?
The interaction that comes to mind involves a student who wants to pursue nursing. I have no experience in the medical field and felt overwhelmed at first. This student had less than a 3.0 GPA, which made finding schools a little more challenging, and then I also was struggling with understanding the educational pathways she might need to take. We spent nearly three hours together one day researching what it would take to become the type of nurse she wants to be, where to find these types of programs, and to then finally get the list of colleges she was interested in according to her needs and specifications all done.
This experience was one of my first big challenges with this position and I was eager to take it on. I was able to find plenty of resources that gave me guidance on what her educational journey would look like, what schools typically offered these programs, and what she should expect as well in terms of course load, what the job will be like, and so on which all helped us immensely. I learned that no matter what students want to pursue, even if it’s not something I’m familiar with, I have the skills, resources, and tools to help them pave their college journey path.
What would be lost if College Possible didn’t exist? Why is College Possible important?
Without College Possible, there would be one less way for students to get access to the support they need for college and college persistence; and students need every way possible to get the access and support they need to gain a post-secondary education.
Getting a degree is critically important to thrive. With this need for education in order to advance economically and professionally, we need as many college preparation, college access, and college success programs as possible. Students depend on College Possible to get the in-depth support, resources, and encouragement they need to not only get into college, but to persist through college and graduate as well. Not many programs offer such intensive support through the whole college journey. Often programs will get students into college, but they fail to help students get to graduation. Getting in is just one step of the process. We need organizations like College Possible to help students get the skills and support they need to actually graduate and move into their careers with confidence, hope, and excitement.
What are your goals or dreams for the future?
My goals and dreams for the future are all centered around getting into a career in education. My ultimate goal is to teach students skills they can use in all aspects of their lives and education.
So, in order to do that, I will be returning to school to get my master’s degree in teaching in the fall of 2026. I want to spend another year serving with College Possible because I absolutely love the work I do here, and it will help me get even more experience in education and specifically doing the type of work I want to do as an educator. I’m always open to new pathways that arise; often sudden opportunities were the things that helped me find what I’m truly passionate about and feel truly fulfilled with the work I do.
Do you want to help inspire students like Qiana does? Learn more about serving with College Possible. You could be a critical support system and coach to a student throughout their college journey.
