Position: High School Program VISTA
When I was asked to head out to Philadelphia to help recruit our very first class of students there, I jumped at the chance. Though I knew a lot about our plan for Philadelphia – I had even helped research some of the local high schools – I wondered if the students would be receptive. College Possible’s results speak loudly, but would high school sophomores who had never seen or heard of us before be willing to join our intensive program?
The short answer to my question was: yes!
The first few days of student recruitment at George Washington and Upper Darby High Schools were incredible. The staff at both schools went above and beyond to make our team feel welcome and at home. They provided us with the space and time to conduct and prepare for informational sessions and student interviews and were oftentimes our biggest cheerleaders- encouraging students to check out our program.
I was in awe of every sophomore that I interviewed. Despite having just recently learned about College Possible, they all perfectly articulated why they wanted to be in our program and what this opportunity will mean to them.
There was one student at George Washington High School who I spoke with for quite some time. As she opened up to me, we discovered that we had similar family backgrounds and were both the first in our families with a desire to attend college. When I mentioned that I am a former College Possible student, it seemed as though something clicked for her. If was as if everything that she thought she knew about this opportunity was solidified- students like her can go and graduate from college!
Experiences like recruiting College Possible Philadelphia’s first class have made my year as a College Possible AmeriCorps*VISTA member truly wonderful. I cannot wait to watch this new group of students grow, develop, earn admission to and graduate from college as the first class of College Possible Philadelphia!
