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January 13, 2012 in City
Whitworth students inspiring others to pursue college
Rogers High student Jacolby Rivers, 17, left, listens as Whitworth sophomore Aaron Kilfoyle talks about the campus buildings as they walk to a dorm Thursday, the first of a three-day program to introduce college life to a group of Rogers students.
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Many high school kids dream of college, but not all students know how to get there – or whether it’s even a possibility for them.
Four Whitworth University students decided they wanted to help make the college connection for students living in Spokane’s most impoverished ZIP code.
The result is a three-day program at Whitworth dubbed BELIEF – Because Every Life Is Empowering the Future – that kicked off Thursday. It’s designed to give students the tools they need to continue their education after high school.
“I’m so excited to be here,” said Jacolby Rivers, one of 20 students taking part in the event, all from Rogers High School. “Just being around more inspiring people, being with people who will get our mind on college – it will make me want to go to college more.”
The students will stay on campus through Saturday to get a taste of university life. That’s perfect for Kelly Trebesch, a Rogers High senior: “I really want to go here, and I wanted to see how friendly the people are.”
Throughout the weekend, the high school students will attend workshops that focus on leadership; what colleges look for in a student; breaking stereotypes; and the “cycle of liberation.” In addition, there will be practical advice on making higher-ed an attainable goal, such as a presentation on financial aid.
“We wanted to focus on empowerment and creating hope,” said Molly Hough, a Whitworth University junior who helped coordinate the event.
A basketball game, a comedian and games are also on the agenda to mix in some fun.
On the final day, the students’ legal guardians are invited to the campus. “We will help them understand how to encourage the kids to go to school,” Hough said, as well as go over the process of applying for and receiving financial aid.
Admissions counselors from Whitworth will be available to answer students’ questions about applying to the north Spokane school, but the goal of the program isn’t to promote Whitworth as a college choice, spokeswoman Emily Proffitt said in an email.
“Their goals are to give a holistic model of the college experience, to build relationships between higher ed and high school students, to help students realize their potential and that college is an attainable goal, to provide them with the tools needed to make them successful in their goal of a college education, and to fight the opportunity gap,” she said.
The Rogers students who arrived Thursday were filled with energy, and excited for their opportunity. Their hosts were equally thrilled.
“There’s a stigma not only in Hillyard and Rogers that they are not even expected to go to college,” Hough said. “We wanted to remove that stigma and empower them. We wanted them to know that their ZIP code does not determine where and if they go to college.”
Recent stories by Jody Lawrence-Turner
Sandpoint High students vandalize school in senior prank May 23, 2012 1- Spokane schools officials’ pay frozen May 15, 2012 18
- Redinger brings fresh direction, expectations to District 81 May 13, 2012 7
- Spokane Scholars Foundation honors ‘community assets’ April 24, 2012
- Schools chief gets pay hike April 24, 2012 15
8ball on January 13 at 5:00 a.m.
The good little data miners at Whitworth discovered the most impoverished area to find potential candidates? At the conclusion of brainwashing, they invite the legal guardian to complete indoctrination by encouraging them to further brainwash the candidate and apply for federal financial aid?
Whitworth costs way too much for what you get. In these economic times, a multitude of kids are graduating from college deeply indebted with no jobs to dig themselves out of the hole. Thanks to our politicians, student debt is the most pernicious form of debt to be burdened with, as filing bankruptcy doesn’t even lift it.
Most Liberal Arts degrees are worthless in today’s changing market. I’m not the lone voice on this general subject. Google it …. and you will see plenty of discussion about it.
pakman on January 13 at 6:47 a.m.
Swell points you make there 8ball. How dare Whitworth (or anyone else) try to inspire and motivate these kids? Don’t they know their lot in life is to stay in their current zip code? If you actually read the story you will note that Whitworth is trying to show these kids that education is a realistic and valuable goal and worthy of investment. This is not simply a recruitment effort by the college.
There was a time when the public supported higher education so it was readily available to students who qualified, not only those from rich families. Maybe the next generation, seeing what so many missed out on, will restore that opportunity. Education (liberal arts included) is not only the key to a better job but a more enlightened life and an interest in contributing to society. Higher education degrees pay dividends beyond career choices and I believe there are still people out there who are intelligent enough to invest in their future. Hats off to Whitworth for caring about these kids and working to inspire and show them what’s possible. Clearly it’s too late for you.
WillyPeter on January 13 at 7:01 a.m.
^^^^all good comments, but you omitted mention of professional educrats who, along with our politicians, are at fault for driving up to obscene heights the cost of attending college.
Whitworth is a private school, so I’ll refrain from criticizing it. Although it shares some of higher ed’s “problems.”
Public university employees making hundreds-of-thousand $$$ salaries, Unnecessary construction. Ridiculous academic programs that offer classes that could easily be incorporated into credible disciplines/majors (and lots of corresponding administration eliminated). ‘Boards’ and Trustees who are political appointees and pander to, and enable, university pooh-bahs….”….so you wanna increase tuition? Sure, be our guest.” “…so, you need to build a new (fill in the blank)?, sure, no problemo.”
Students leaving HS now need to carefully - very carefully - anayize their college future. For a middle-class family - about 45K-70K - with a B student graduate, junior/community college is the best choice for the first two years. The cost to the family will be manageable. Or, live at home and commute to EWU for $10,000 (+/-) a year. Or, if graduating from a Spokane area HS, attend WSU, UW, CWU, WWU, or Evergreen and pay twice that amount…$80,000+ for four years! Or much more for a private college. Students should strive to mimiize student loans/debt; a $50,000 student loan, at 6% interest, will require nearly $500 a-month payments for 12 years, and/or $80,000 for 28 years!!
Writing about this dismays me…. so….enough.
Orphan on January 13 at 7:17 a.m.
Well said WillyPeter and 8ball.
pakman Whitworth is simply a bussiness attempting to sell their product. I simply do not understand the pedestal colleges are put upon especially the private colleges.
From my business experiance about half of the college graduates are worse off for the so called education. Heavy debt for worthless degrees is dragging a lot of them down.
Student loans are just another government dependance that we do not need. None of my kids got student loans they have paid as they went.
Espoir on January 13 at 7:36 a.m.
I would echo pakman’s comment. The fact is, this program is aimed at providing encouragement for and tools for success in higher education, which does not need to be confined to a liberal arts degree. Higher education includes community college, trade school, and university level degrees and above. You would be surprised at the passion that many high school students living in poorer neighborhoods have to achieve a higher education, because many of them will be the first in their family to become educated beyond high school (or even middle school!). What they must endure just to get an education is incredible; why discredit their journey when you don’t even know their stories?
It is easy to criticize the educational system. Yes, there are many shortcomings to student debt, and if a student isn’t prudent, it can significantly impair them after graduation. But is that really the issue in question here? What this program is aimed at are the thousands upon thousands of students the American education system is failing to provide opportunities and hope for. In Washington state, only 69 out of 100 high school students will graduate HS, and only 17 of those will complete a college degree. Many students in communities where the majority of inhabitants live below the poverty line don’t even see education beyond high school as a possibility. And so the cycle repeats itself. We need to find a way to inspire these kids and show them that getting an education is both obtainable and something they deserve. That is why programs like this are important.
Espoir on January 13 at 7:45 a.m.
On a different note, it’s a fallacy to say that it is always cheaper and easier to attend a state school than a private school. Students should apply to multiple schools and pick the one which offers them the most financial aid, if that school fits with their educational goals. Each school offers different financial packages, and many times while state schools appear less costly, when comparing the financial aid awards, it would in the end be more expensive to attend there.
Orphan on January 13 at 7:50 a.m.
So Espoir how valuable will a college degree be if we have an 80% college graduation rate or even 30%?
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on January 13 at 8:06 a.m.
To summarize from this & recent S-R comment threads:
(a) if you’re poor, don’t sit there whining about it, get an education and make something of yourself.
(b) college is a rip-off, and college graduates are worthless. Don’t bother with college.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on January 13 at 8:09 a.m.
Orphan @7:50 a.m. – seriously? Keeping graduation rates low is a good thing because the rarer the product, the more valuable it is?
Orphan on January 13 at 9:21 a.m.
Bruce seriously keeping graduation rates very high will make a degree less valuable that is a fact, sorry. I was not saying keep it down to the bare minimum to increase wages for college grads. A college graduation rate of 80% would make a college degree equilivent to a High School education and the pay would follow. Then only the foiks with higher degrees would make the big bucks. You can educate all you want but ypu will only push the bubble up. This is happening right now there are more college graduates than there are jobs for them and wages are decreasing as we speak.
Actualy if the college graduation rate gets very high I would advise kids to go into the trades be a plumber or carpenter they would make more money.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on January 13 at 9:33 a.m.
Okay.
meadman on January 13 at 10:34 a.m.
I’m sure 8ball and you others on here are making sure NOT to send your kids to any college to get brainwashed….. after high school tell them McDonald’s is hiring: that is the prudent career choice isn’t it?
the dumbing-down of America is a very good thing — Right??!!!
Pakman and Espoir are the only reasonable and responsible commenters on here.
meadman on January 13 at 10:47 a.m.
I would agree that many liberal arts degrees do not lead to much in the way of “marketable” skills. What is needed in this country is a huge increase in folks with technical skills as we are becoming a world of technology where machines and computer chips are involved in almost every aspect of our lives.
Here is an exerpt from a story currently on KHQ on-line:
“More than half of U.S. employers surveyed by the staffing firm Manpower Group last year said they were having trouble filling job openings because they couldn’t find qualified workers. That’s a huge 38 percentage point jump from 2010, when only 14 percent said they were having trouble filling positions.”
“Economists and labor experts say that in some industries, there is a legitimate talent shortage: There simply aren’t enough workers with the skills needed to do the jobs available.”
How strange and sad, then, that community college programs all across the nation are being cut drastically by legislatures. These are the exact programs that will turn-out the technically skilled workers needed. Also, sad that the GOP seems hell-bent on making it harder to attend secondary education (Pell Grants, college loans, etc. getting cut or eliminated). All this is going to make us a 2nd (or 3rd) tier nation in the not too distant future. Very short-sighted on the politicians part.
greenlibertarian on January 13 at 6:48 p.m.
There’s no question that the high rate of inflation in college costs is causing some serious economic disruption. Such inflation has typically been twice the average rate of inflation. It manifests in a variety of ways, from a larger contribution from parents (the ones that have money) to deferring the costs far into the future with large student loans.
IAC, I applaud these Whitworth students for wanting to show these kids there is the choice for them to go to college. They’ll have to study hard in high school, earn good grades, and they’ll need to graduate. All good things to do even IF they don’t end up going to college.
misjustice on January 13 at 7:42 p.m.
Would you like to super-size that?
nohaters182 on January 14 at 7:07 p.m.
as a kid who actually just got back from the confrence i would have to say you all dont understand any of this. the article barely explained what the program was. it was amazing. college is so important. THATONEGUY, what job do you have? how is working at mcdonalds going to get anyone enough money to do anything? and whitworth didnt do this to promote the school. they just wanted to show how good college was and how improtant it is. they didnt talk about whitworth near as much as just college in general.
and its not as easy to just “get over” being poor. having no money is an issue that even working at mcdonalds wont help. you all are just ignorant