REVOLUTIONIZING EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES BY COMING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND HELPING EACH OTHER ONE PERSON AT A TIME. (September 2021)

​I love to write and between my assignments and endless journals, I have written many words, strung together to make up sentences. But one of the sentences in a statement I wrote sticks out like no other "Sometimes getting into college proves to be a barrier in and of itself". There are many reasons as to why I remember this phrase, but perhaps the biggest reason was one that I was reminded of today as I read an article entitled, "A College Adviser in Every School".  
       The article itself shed light on college advising in high schools and the fact that there is more that can be done. And I don't imagine there is a single sentence in that entire article that I didn't agree with, but that isn't the point of this post. If you are a student, parents, educator, caring adult, I want you to know that it is in each other that we will find the answers we need to move on to the next level; whatever that may be. 
        One of the resources that I have in the students and parents section is called My Map to College and it is simply a booklet with phrases that are popular in the worlds of admissions, financial aid and college, While it provides some guidance, what it really provides is a key terms that you may want to consider when trying to navigate the process. But a hidden feature of the booklet is that it empowers the students and parents. It gives you the terms, but it's up to you figure out the reason why that term is important. And those reasons are different for everyone. 
        By providing the outline but not a checklist, students and parents have the opportunity explore how their experiences and situations fit within the scheme of higher education. The booklet also directly invites students (and their families) to seek the counsel of others, people they trust to help them build their map to college.
            So you see, maybe this theme of coming together, sharing our stories- our hopes- our dreams, can help change out outcomes of educational attainment of Latinos; one student at a time.