Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 4-20-18

FLORIDA SENTINEL
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Students Share Success Of Free College Readiness Program
FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2018
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
MRS. ELAINE L. THOMPSON
Three years ago, Mrs. Elaine L. Thompson developed a program that would help local students simplify their re- search for colleges and navigating stan- dardized tests to enter college. According to the students who have participated in the program, the Free College Readiness Workshop for high school students has successfully provided guidance for them.
Some of the girls who have been helped through the Black Scholars Head- ing to College Program shared their expe- riences.
HAYDEN MURPHY
“It is hard for me to express how grate- ful I am for the Black Scholars Program. Black women are often overlooked in both society and academia, therefore, this pro- gram targets a group of girls who could re- ally benefit from guidance.
Mrs. Thompson goes out of her way to help each participant find schools that would be the best fit for them and scholar- ships that make their dreams actually achievable. I would not be where I am today without the program.”
HAYDEN MURPHY Barnard College of Columbia University Class of 2020 Parents: Sheri and Kevin Murphy
“I became a member of the Black Scholars Program during my sophomore year in high school. It helped me to track graduation requirements while in high school. It also prepared me and gave me information about colleges, and their ap- plication processes. Every meeting we
DEJA ROACH
were given guidance on different topics such as the SAT/ACT, essay writing, and scholarships. I received a lot of support from this program and it made my transi- tion to college a lot easier. I also received a scholarship from one of the groups I learned about through the Black Scholars Program.”
DEJA ROACH Barry University Class of 2021 Parent: Petra Roach (Father died of cancer when she was a young child)
MAUREEN UBANI
“As a high school senior, I was very nervous about the upcoming college appli- cation and selection process. Although re- warding, the process at times could be cumbersome, daunting, and highly stress- ful. However, the Black Scholars Program provided my parents and I with the guid- ance we needed in order to make the process as stress-free and successful as possible.
“Due to Mrs. Thompson’s hard work and support I was able to get helpful information on a variety of topics I had no previous idea about. For example, I was able to participate in multiple fly-ins and visit many of the colleges I applied to for free (which is not common among many applicants).
“Furthermore, the friendships made between the participants and those in charge allowed me to have successful older black women and black women my age to look up to for inspiration which was not only helpful for the process, but life in gen-
eral“.Lastly, I was able to afford most of my schools, thanks to the numerous scholar- ships I applied for with the help of Mrs. Thompson and the other staff of the pro-
gram. I would recommend this program to anyone because it really gives you the sup- port and feedback necessary to help make you a competitive applicant for any kind of school.”
MAUREEN UBANI Vanderbilt University Class of 2021 Parents: Agnes and Victor Ubani
TAYLOR WALKER
“The Black Scholars Program was an exceptional program that showcased the steps to applying for college and provided a great deal of opportunities. It helped African-American young ladies become more exposed to as many options as possi- ble for their career. We built a bond with our mentor, Ms. Elaine Thompson, as well as the other girls in the program. This helped me abundantly because I was afraid of stepping out of the box when ap- plying for top colleges and it helped me to build my connections with other impor- tant people in the universities. I am be- yond grateful to have experienced this journey. I encourage other girls to partici- pate in this scholarly program.”
TAYLOR WALKER Florida State University Class of 2021 Parents: Corey Walker and Octavia Bellenger
“I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to be a part of the Black Scholars Program. Mrs. Thompson provided me and the many other girls in- volved with very value and important in- formation that we needed to know in order to further our education at the collegiate level. The majority of the information we received was not things that are taught to you in high school. Topics such as the ap- propriate scholarships to apply for, how many schools you should apply for, how to study for exams and write essays, and many more.
“I loved being surrounded by strong, intelligent Black females who worked to- gether to help one another succeed and achieve goals that many outside parties never believed we could. The program was very empowering and inspired me to strive for my highest goals and provided me with the resources to reach them.
“With the help of the Black Scholars Program, my family and I are very proud to say that I will be attending the Univer- sity of Miami starting fall of 2018. I would
like to give a special thank you to Mrs. Thompson and the other team members that worked exceptionally hard to help us young girls achieve our dreams of going to college.”
ZORIA TELFARE University of Miami Class of 2022 Parents: Jennifer and Vincent Telfare
“The Black Scholar Program has been very influential in my high school tenure. The leaders explain things about college, scholarships, and financial aid that I didn’t know. During my college application process I received assistance with proof- reading my essay and it made the process much easier. The Black Scholar Program is a great investment of time because it will help you get prepared for college by pro- viding guidance that high school does not prepare you for. I also received a lot of ad- vice seeking scholarships to pay for col- lege.
Student, University of South Florida Class of 2022
The Free College Readiness Workshop for High School Students will be held again this year. The sessions will be held on Sat- urdays, June 23, 2018, July 21, 2018 and August 18, 2018, 10:125 a. m. – 12:45 p. m.
“Our goal is to provide guidance to as- sist any high school student in getting ac- cepted to great colleges and being able to afford to attend those great colleges with- out substantial loans,” Mrs. Thompson said on the flyer being distributed.
Sponsored by the Black Scholars Heading to College Program, workshops will be held at the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Library, 1505 N. Nebraska Ave.
Topics for discussion will include re- searching potential college majors and re- quired tests; high school course selection; Standardized Tests and getting fee waivers; College Fairs; Managing Social Media accounts; among many other top- ics.
Students attending the workshops are encouraged to bring laptops or tablets if you want to receive documents during the workshop.
“The other lawyers who will assist are Sheri Murphy and Carmen Miller. All of us are former Assistant Public Defend- ers.
Carrie Hurst, the Administrative Li- brarian at the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library, works with the team in co- ordinating these workshops. In past years, they have hosted workshops in conjunc- tion with a church in Plant City as well as the NAACP in Clearwater.
“This summer, we are planning to do- nate a SAT Study Guide to one student participant and an ACT Prep Study Guide to a different student participant at each of the three workshops. These study guides are donated by the three coordinators.
For additional information contact Mrs. Thompson at blckscholarshead- ingtocollege@gmail.com.