Success Stories

Following are personal accounts as told by NCAC advisers.

Back in March, I offered a workshop for the parents of [my partner high school's] junior class. We covered the SAT, selecting colleges, and the admissions process. After the program wrapped up, I had a mother and father tell me how much it helped them, giving them information they had not considered and did not know they should even think about. I can remember the father saying, "Man, that was great. When are we having another one? I know we will need more help and advice."

I can remember the father saying, "Man, that was great. When are we having another one? I know we will need more help and advice." 

I was working with a new student whose ultimate goal was to transfer from a Community College to a four-year institution.  He was confused about what he had to do to get there and told me that he wanted to get a certificate here and then transfer. We talked for a long time about the difference between certificates and degrees and I walked through the transfer process and the guaranteed admission agreements with him (he wasn't aware of guaranteed admission).  By the time he left, he had decided to switch from the certificate to the associates, which was really exciting, and he was also looking into the guaranteed admission agreements with several four-year schools. 

I was able to meet with a wonderful senior student who is probably going to college in the fall and was her high school's nominee for the National College Access Network scholarship.  Her family situation is less than ideal, to say the least, with a one-parent household and the recent loss of the family's primary source of income (her mom lost her job).  Throughout it all, this student has persevered to overcome her personal struggles and be a successful and involved student in the school and community. 

One senior told me recently: "I wasn't even thinking about going to college until the day that you came into my government class talking about it. Now I really want to be something more."  

One of the things that has had the greatest impact on the students in my schools has been taking them on field trips to visit college campuses. I had one student that absolutely did not want to go to college, but she had the grades, test scores, and potential. Her dad also really wanted her to go, but couldn't convince her that she should. She just had no interest in it. Her dad had tried everything, and would have filled out the applications for her if she would have let him. She signed up to go on a field trip where we visited Radford, Virginia Tech, UVA, and William & Mary, mostly to miss two days of school and because her friends were going... [But], by the time we finished the [first] tour she had an application in her hand, and was wearing a t-shirt she bought at the college bookstore.  

There's this one student I've been working with since September.  She had everything ready except for the essay.  After getting the creative juices flowing, the student wrote a spectacular essay and sent her application in. Three weeks went by and not a single word came from this school. So today, finally, I called the Office of Admissions and found out that she snagged an audition in New York City. I love this job.

And on the day she was admitted to college, she came in and hugged me to say thank you because, as she put it, she didn't have anyone else to hug and say thank you to.  And she doesn't know it yet, but the college is pretty much giving her a full ride..