Mentors - Student Assistance Program Video
The Student Assistance Program seeks to remove some of the barriers to learning by providing a mentor to transition the student from high school to college/trades, dorm room supplies, a laptop, or other items necessary to start college, as well as a scholarship to help fill gaps in their financial aid package.
This program started in 2018, when our alternative high school - Albany Options School (one of our three high schools) sent their first three students to a four-year university. Two of the three students were homeless, the other under extreme financial stress. One of the students, McKenzie, is quoted as saying, "I'm the first one in my family to graduate from high school. College was never an option until my mentor said – ‘you can do it’". These students, who had been couch surfing, didn't have much in the way of bedding or clothing. When they got the letter from their college with a list of items needed for a dorm room, they were overwhelmed. It seemed impossible...
With over 48% of the students in the Greater Albany Public School district below the poverty line and the cost of college continuing to go up, we knew that we needed to find a way to help more students. The first year, we helped 3 students, this year 10 students, and next year we hope to continue to expand the program.
Your support provides the following: 1) Three mentors (one from each high school) to help transition some of our neediest students from high school through their first year of college. 2) A grant, managed by the mentor, for each student to help with dorm room supplies, a laptop, or other basic needs. 3) A scholarship to help fill in the gaps in a student’s financial assistance award package.
We believe that the first step to impacting that 48% poverty number is to prioritize education for our kids. Education represents the hopes and future of Albany. Your support provides basic needs for kids, makes the dream of college/trade school possible, and sends a message to Albany students - "You are important and your community cares about you".
Thank you for considering helping Albany students reach their full potential.