Keep my students in college!

The greatest joy of my life has been having the privilege of working  with the students at Collins Academy High School in the North Lawndale neighborhood.  I am going into my fifth year working at Collins and this past year I was offered the position of being the post-secondary lead, meaning I made sure every Senior had a plan for after graduation. I helped students identify colleges and work opportunities, helped them complete college applications and FAFSA, organized college tours and scholarship fairs, and much more.  


This summer I am still working with students as they navigate the complicated world of college enrollment.  Many of my students were the first in their family to graduate high school, and almost all of them will be the first in their families to go to college.  They have persevered through a horrifically underfunded public education system and through institutional racism resulting in poverty and violence in their neighborhoods.  I am in awe of their resilience and bravery.


My students want to go to college to further their education, meet new people, experience new places and broaden their horizons.  They want  to have access to meaningful and decent paying jobs. They want to  educate themselves so that they can give back to their communities, to inspire their younger siblings,, and so many other wonderful and beautiful reasons.  The odds, however, are stacked against them. Approximately 62% of African American students do not complete college within 6 years (Tate, 2017).  One of the biggest factors contributing to this is unexpected costs.


Students run into unexpected costs such as deposits and fees they didn’t know about, astronomically expensive textbooks that are required for classes, transportation costs (for example, a bus or train ticket home if there is a family emergency), school supplies, personal hygiene items, and more.  It is imperative that Collins Academy have an emergency fund so we can support students who are transitioning to or who are already enrolled in college and who are running into financial barriers beyond their control.


I am already getting emails and calls from students who are running into these financial barriers.  Some of them need their twin XL bed sheets or cannot move in to their dorms until they put down a housing or enrollment deposit.  Most of their needs are already being covered by financial aid, scholarships, or loans. It is the unexpected costs that add up and end up pushing students out of school.  I believe if we can offer them an emergency funding option to help them overcome some of these barriers, they are far more likely to stay in school. Anything you are able to give will go directly to helping my students stay in college.  They deserve to have a real shot at a higher education, and you can be a part of giving that opportunity to them. I believe we must all do our part to make this world more fair. Anything you are able to give will help.


I am hoping to raise an initial $2,000 and continue to fundraise through the year to add to this fund so we are able to offer it to students in the years to come.  Your support is vital, and I thank you for it now and always.  





Tate, Emily. “Graduation Rates and Race.” Inside Higher Ed, 26 Apr. 2017, www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/04/26/college-completion-rates-vary-race-and-ethnicity-report-finds.