| Quote of the Month |
"Reach for College! helped me in my pursuit for higher education. Without the class I wouldn't have gone to college because I had no idea what steps I had to take."
~Jennifer Coward, RFC Graduate of Bennett College |
| Help More Students Get to College | 
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| RFC Board of Directors | | Ramon Richards, Chair
Fannie Mae
Julia Keleher, Vice Chair U.S. Department of Education
Carrie Schoell, Secretary University of Maryland
Dexter Tucker, Treasurer Virtual Enterprise
Segun Eubanks National Education Association
Linda Fennell DC Department of Transportation
Amber Hamilton Rebuilding Together, Inc.
Terri Hankins TLH Management Consultants
Deborah Insel
Reach for College!
Wesley Lawson Former RFC Student North Carolina Central University
Nancy Poon Lue The Advisory Board Company
Patrick Tierney Holland and Knight, LLP |
| Help More Students Get to College |
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| Thank you to our Funders! |
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation
Fannie Mae Foundation
Freddie Mac Foundation Harman Family Foundation Hattie M. Strong Foundation The Herb Block Foundation DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education Prince George's County 'Community First' Fund
USTA Eastern Junior Tennis Foundation USTA Serves World Bank Community Connection Many Individual Donors |
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Greetings!
We at Reach for College! have many things to be excited about and grateful for at this time of year, but first among them is the success of our students. Our students inspire us every day with their hard work and determination. We profile one of our recent college grads here as an example of how the program and the students work--with great success as the result! |
RFC Students Starting to Graduate From College
Program begun in Fall, 2005, is now yielding grads
Profile of one student now headed to graduate school
 | | Jennifer Coward, RFC college grad |
"Thinking back to high school I knew I wasn't going to college," Jennifer Coward said recently. "I didn't think I was worthy. I thought college was for super smart kids, rich kids. I didn't think much about college kids because I didn't meet any. Now that I have graduated from college, it is a surreal feeling. For four years I have been pursuing my goals and now that I have achieved them, it is time to move on to the next project: graduate school and job!"
Jennifer is about to start a Master's Program in Mass Communication at Trinity University in Washington, DC, having graduated from Bennett College in May. Her major was Journalism and Media Studies with a concentration in Print. She is the first in her family to go to and graduate from a four-year college.
"College was an excellent learning experience," Jennifer said. "What I liked most about college was meeting new people and experiencing life on my own away from my parents. Since college I have become more independent, a better critical thinker and an excellent problem solver. College taught me not to panic when things seem to go wrong."
"Reach for College! helped me in my pursuit for higher education," according to Jennifer. "Without the class I wouldn't have gone to college because I had no idea what steps I had to take. The Reach for College! classes were very helpful and gave me better knowledge about what to do and expect. The class helped me gain confidence in myself. I recommend that all high school students should take the RFC course in order to be prepared for the college process and entering college." Nationally, fewer than 45% of first-generation college students graduate from four-year colleges, according to a 2008 study by the College Board and the National Student Clearinghouse, versus 59% of non-first-generation students. And in Washington, DC, a 2006 study showed that only 9% of students graduate from college. RFC has incomplete graduation data as yet having had our first high school graduates in June, 2006, but preliminary data show that 60% of RFC students are persisting in college.
We are very proud of Jennifer's success and know she will be a beacon and a role model for many students to come.
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Ways You Can Help
More Students Get to and
Graduate from College
Be a part of making life-altering changes in students' lives
Too often in our country now opportunity is linked to zip code. Children growing up in more affluent neighborhoods, by and large, have access to better schools and a constant message from birth that college is their goal. Children in less affluent neighborhoods tend to have access to fewer resources to help them think about and plan for college. Reach for College! exists to fill that gap.
We see students' eyes light up every day as they begin to realize the opportunities that can exist for them when they graduate from high school. Help us put that light into more students' eyes.
- Donate through your CFC Campaign. RFC is # 32839
- Donate through United Way. RFC is # 9340
- Pledge a monthly amount that can be made through the Network for Good website at the left.
- Make a one-time donation through Network for Good.
- Send a check to Reach for College! 700 12th Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005.
For $175 we can get a student to college and change his or her life trajectory forever. What other gift can you give this holiday season that will have such impact and be so appreciated for years to come? "I am very happy that I have made the choice to further my education because that was not always my decision. I was just going to go in the world of work and try to survive making the minimum wage. I always said to myself 'college is not for me'. I have figured out that I was very wrong; college is for anyone who wants to further their education and have a successful career."
~Ashton McNair, first year student at Norfolk State University
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Here's wishing you a warm and wonderful holiday season!
Sincerely,
Deb Insel
Executive Director |
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