We are pleased to announce the addition of our seventh site, College Possible Washington! This marks the first occasion College Possible has united with another organization, College Access Now (CAN), to make college access and success possible for students from low-income backgrounds in the state of Washington.
Founded in 2006, CAN is also a member of the AmeriCorps National Service Program and designed its program based on College Possible’s nationally-recognized and rigorously-evaluated model of near-peer mentoring and coaching. In May 2019, the Board of Directors for both College Possible and CAN voted unanimously to merge into one organization.
“This partnership will enable us to change the odds for thousands of students and help them achieve their full potential in college,” said Jim McCorkell, founder and CEO of College Possible. “The Washington team shares a deep commitment to equity and our mission of helping students from low-income backgrounds access and thrive in college. We’re excited to welcome them to the team.”
CAN Executive Director Guadalupe Torres — a highly experienced nonprofit leader skilled in organizational growth, program excellence and community engagement, joined the organization in 2017 and will continue to serve as executive director of College Possible Washington. While Washington’s educational attainment exceeds the national average, there are large achievement gaps in the Seattle region and across the state.
“Despite Seattle’s thriving economy, there is a growing population of underrepresented students who need support. As the daughter of an immigrant from a farm-working family and a first-generation college graduate – I know the challenges. I am honored to lead an organization that promotes the opportunity for students to reach their full potential and creates a talent pipeline that is reflective of the rich diversity of our local communities,” Torres said. “Joining College Possible will enable us to scale a proven model to serve more students in Washington and draw on the expertise and reach of partners across the United States.”
The merger brings together two mission-aligned organizations focused on improving higher education access and outcomes, strengthening support for low-income students and expanding College Possible’s presence in the Pacific Northwest.
By aligning efforts and leveraging a national infrastructure, College Possible Washington will be able to serve more students effectively and efficiently reaching 650 high school and 1,600 college students in the Seattle and South King County area. With the addition of the Washington site, College Possible will reach 25,000 students during the 2019-20 school year.
