Written by Izania Gonzalez
IN-Tech Academy celebrated the opening of its brand new student college and career office on October 16th. The new space will provide a physical home for college and career guidance counselors and students looking for help in a quiet place to study.
The school’s partnership with Futures Ignite and Gear Up played a huge role in making the new career center a reality.
Principal David Weisberg said because of these partnerships, the school now has six full-time employees. One of these staff members is a college counselor for the City Education Department who works full-time with seniors. Two additional staff members have been brought in from Futures Ignite to work with the rest of our staff to ensure that all high school students have the opportunity to explore what’s next for them.
These counselors are expected to work with students to ensure their college applications are successful, including federal student aid, college applications, interview skills, presentations, and working with students with undocumented family members. I am.
The remaining three full-time staff members work on the academic side of counseling and guide students to ensure their success before entering college.
“We will do whatever we can to limit barriers,” Weisberg said.
The Bronx College GEAR UP Network partners with schools across the city to help students graduate from high school and prepare for higher education. We also have part-time staff on campus several days a week to help all students reach their full potential.
GEAR UP has been working in schools since current Year 10 students were in Year 6, and part of the process is to follow students through their first year of university and set them up for success, whatever that may be. .
Futures Ignite is a city-based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing counseling, support, and advocacy to students of color to prepare them for their college and career futures.
Futures Ignite Executive Director Molly Delano said the organization is small but mighty and has plans to grow.
“I believe our nation’s young people deserve better,” Delano said.
The newly designed space is intended to serve as a physical location for students, what Weisberg calls a “second home.” Students note that the inviting atmosphere of the physical space and the possibilities it creates make many students feel welcomed by the office’s services.
For Weisberg, all of these programs and services provide students with faster access, an opportunity to understand what is available to them and make informed decisions with support from counselors and colleagues. The purpose is to.
Weisberg said the partnership with Futures Ignite will give both schools and students greater access to college tours, grants and internships. Schools and organizations work together to arrange overnight trips to multiple schools to help students explore their options.
“It’s giving them exposure to possibilities,” Weisberg said.
In addition to its partnerships with organizations, IN-Tech is also part of the city’s Future Ready program, which uplifts students by allowing schools to integrate diverse experiences. Participating schools can expand their career and technical education programs and further develop their computer science tracks by choosing a path supported by IN-Tech’s selected technologies.
Weisberg said funding from the program was part of giving the school the new facility.
The average career guidance counselor at a city high school is assigned to supervise an average of 333 students, according to data from Futures Ignite. Additionally, on a national level, the average high school career guidance counselor has 482 students assigned to it.
Weisberg said career guidance counselors at a high school are expected to follow students to ensure they graduate, write college essays, fill out applications, and ultimately attend college. said. This is a huge amount of work, requiring one person to work with over 300 people. students.
Jumahlai Castillo, a fourth-year student at IN-Tech, has been attending the school since ninth grade and feels lucky to have the resources available to her.
Ianna Lee, another IN-Tech senior who has been attending the school since sixth grade, said she wants to continue her education to pursue a career in early childhood education. Lee said she spent the first two years of her high school education wondering what she wanted to do after graduation, but the resources and opportunities the school provided helped her find her passion.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, several students read excerpts from their college essays. Lee’s essay explored her experiences attending Korean school on Saturdays, growing up, and ultimately being asked to become Korean.
She was a teacher’s assistant in the same program and said she was nervous about the decision but loved every moment of it.
For Weisberg, the success of all the programs and initiatives available to students is measured in more than just how well their seniors are doing.
“What we are particularly looking at this year is that our young students in Years 9 and 10 are really understanding their career and university possibilities,” he said.
Keywords IN-Tech Academy, College Career Office, Student Support, Educational Partnerships, Futures Ignite, GEAR UP, College Counseling, Bronx Institute
