Incoming first year Tierra Easter said she never originally thought she'd be attending the University of Virginia.
"I didn't want to apply to U.Va. because I heard a lot of stories and the people who got into U.Va. were really smart," said Easter, who will be a first year in the College this fall. "So I talked to my mentor and she gave me a pep talk and she really changed my mind and I decided to take a risk and go out there and do it. So I applied and I got in. I just couldn't believe it."
Easter is a member of the Partnership for the Future program which is based and run in Richmond. Through the program, over 50 businesses in Richmond have decided to take a more active role in assisting students striving for college.
Last Friday afternoon, high school students in the program gathered in a room in Peabody Hall to listen to University student panelists discuss their experiences at the University with classes and extracurricular activities.
The program aims to enable University students to aid Richmond area students in the completion of college applications and financial aid with the assistance of mentors.
"The goal is to make a successful transition of Richmond city high school students to college," Program Executive Director Heidi R. Metcalf said. "We currently have about 100 students in the program."
Students are also given the opportunity to work with companies over the summer in order to save money for college.
"Partnership for the Future is a partnership of about 55 to 60 companies in Richmond that make a full time commitment to hiring Richmond high school kids and to match what they save for college at the end of three years," Metcalf said.
The program was started in 1995 by Markel Corporation Chair and CEO Alan Kirshner. The Markel Corporation remains the program's most significant donor, providing all of the program's operational costs beyond the commitments made to individual students by other participating businesses.
Program participants are chosen based on an application process that looks at grades, recommendations of guidance counselors and attendance records along with personal interviews with Partnership staff.
Entrance to the program is highly competitive.
"We usually have twice as many applicants as we have spots," Metcalf said.
Those students who successfully gain entrance to the program enter during years where college is immediately impending. Through their summer internships they are trained to be productive in the workplace and productive in school simultaneously.
"The students enter the program as juniors in high school," Metcalf said. "They work their job four days a week, but are paid five days a week. They spend the fifth day in workshops."
Students learn important skills for success in school and in the workplace.
"The workshops allow students to work on basic work and social skills, including dining etiquette and how to manage personal finances," Metcalf said.
The program event includes an intense SAT workshop taught by Horizons Education.
"The second half of the workshops focus completely on college exploration," Metcalf said. "The students also travel to different college campuses. They have been to William & Mary, the University of Richmond and, of course, the University of Virginia."
High school seniors in the program attend night workshops where they fill out college applications and FAFSA forms. The program pays the application fees and sets an October deadline for participants to send in their applications.
Students stay on track with the aid of volunteers who are committed to seeing the sometimes daunting and hectic college application through on a one on one basis with each student.
Mentors, called GUIDES, are responsible for bi-weekly meetings with participating students in August through January. They keep the program staff abreast of each student's progress and along with the students provide feedback on the needs of the GUIDES program.
GUIDES mentors are drawn from throughout the community and are often employees of the program's sponsoring businesses. To qualify as a mentor, potential volunteers need to "be comfortable working with minority youth and be enthusiastic about assisting in the college transition process," according to the program charter. In addition to the eight-month commitment, new GUIDES mentors complete a two
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