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Ashlee White
Greater New Bedford Regional Vocation Technical High School + UMASS Dartmouth

Education: Bachelor of Arts in English and Communications, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, 2007

Why did you join the College Advising Corps? I joined the College Adviser Corps after I received a letter from MCLA informing me about the position. It interested me because there was an education award that would be granted after the 10 month program had ended. More importantly, I had never heard of Access prior to this mailing.

The details of the job description made me time-travel back to when I was in high school. I tried to recall the aid that my guidance counselor had provided me, and fell short on any kind of memory. It made me analyze community a great deal. I came to the conclusion that if I took on this position I would be providing a great service. It is my opinion that our cities, towns, and youth desperately need this service. High school students need a resource available to them that will allow them access, and I wanted to be apart of that.

How are individual students affected by this program? I have had two students come to my office, and it is only October, and thank me dozens of times for helping them. They say that without me they wouldnt have even thought about college.

When students come into my office we discuss their desired profession, and then the appropriate schools that they might consider. I aid them with the entire application process: the recommendation letter seeking, registering for SATs, actually filling out the application for admission, the financial aid process and FAFSA. Every aspect of the college process is covered. Furthermore; the most powerful part of all of this, is that it is all individual meetings with students!

Why should there be so much emphasis on college access and the opportunity for higher education? There has to be emphasis on College Access because it is one of the most powerful, worldly, and beneficial, experiences any person can have post high school graduation. College is a fountain of networking resources that tie town and city community with the state, with the region, with the nation, and of course the rest of the world.

The education that one will receive from a college or university is beneficial simply because knowledge is power. Education opens a mind to a world that they probably never would have experiences otherwise. (I could go on for hours as to the many reasons why a post-secondary education is crucial.)

The transition from high school into the "real world" is eased when a student attends college. Also, it teaches them many life skills over the course of 2-4 years: time management, communication skills, builds self-esteem and maturity, etc. Many students across the nation want to go to college. I do not think that they are aware of the opportunities that await them at the college level even though they might have interest. I think the idea of college is nice, but for many students they do not know the route to take. I have come to the conclusion recently that guidance counselors across the nation are finding themselves more and more weighed down by the social and family life issues that surround their students. I believe that a new profession needs to be created, and that is that of the College Access Adviser. A direct, individualized, conveniently located source, for any college related question, problem, or concern that any student, no matter their grade level, can access to, right there in their very own high school.

Parents, teachers, counselors, and family members alike can help their son/daughter/student in the process of course. But how many of our students in America are first generation? (This meaning that if they indeed attend college they will be the first in their linage.) How many students have the option of seeking out a parent, friend, or relative when it comes to a college related concern or question? If a student has grown up his entire life surrounded by a community that is not college aware/knowledgeable what help could they offer? Some students are not even aware that their guidance counselors are there to help with the college process. Some are clouded by the image that they are simply there for the students well being and healthy state of mind.

Access is important because it allows a direct connection between community and higher education. It can help shape the youth and the generations and generations to come in this country. It is beneficial not only to the community but also for the individual.