Seventy-First High School Named ACAC National School of Excellence
Photo courtesy of Tiara Parker
On March 24, ACT’s American College Application Campaign (ACAC), announced its annual 26 School of Excellence awardees from around the country, including North Carolina’s own Seventy-First High School in Fayetteville.
The campaign is an “effort to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from under-resourced communities pursuing a college degree or other higher education credential,” according to a press release from ACAC.
“Our national college application campaign is an effort to open additional doors for students who might be the first in their families to attend college,” said ACT CEO Steve Tapp in the press release. “We’re immensely grateful to the nearly 10,000 high schools that participate and salute these 26 School of Excellence recipients for their work helping more students take this critical step.”
Tiara Parker, Senior and Lead School Counselor at Seventy-First, organizes the school’s big College Application Week event each year. Seventy-First usually has about 1,400 students, and each year since Parker began at the school in 2013, it’s held the event to get most of its seniors to complete their applications.
“They’re excited because we’re excited for them,” she said of the students. “It’s not just about the highfliers; it’s about those students who’ve struggled.”
Tiara Parker. Photo Credit: Alex Granados/NCSEAA
College Application Week is part of College for North Carolina’s (CFNC) all-year effort to help students learn about the three key college going steps: residency, financial aid, and college applications. That effort is called Countdown to College (C2C) and is part of the ACAC. During College Application Week in October, many North Carolina colleges and universities participating in C2C waive their application fees, helping students save hundreds of dollars.
For Seventy-First, Parker sends out communications to teachers letting them know when to release their students from class so they can come to the media center and apply to college. They have someone from CFNC come out to help the students, and there are, of course, snacks.
Usually, Parker has a student create a banner so that all seniors who apply to college can sign their name. And she does all this not just out of duty but out of love. Both of her daughters graduated from the school, and it’s where she started her career as a school counselor.
Photo Credits: Alex Granados/NCSEAA
“I fell in love with the culture, the climate of the school, and the population, and because Seventy-First has been considered the underdog for a long time, I want to help change the narrative,” she said. “I want the narrative about the school to be more about what’s really happening at Seventy-First.”
Thanks to the efforts of Parker and other counselors like her around the state, College Application Week saw a large increase in applications from the year before.
More than 25,000 individuals completed almost 67,000 college applications through CFNC, a 72% increase from the year before. An additional 51,000 applications were completed on Common App.
Photo courtesy of Tiara Parker
“Seventy-First High School has done a fantastic job engaging with seniors to provide opportunities to not only apply to colleges and complete their FAFSA but also inform families during parent nights and military information nights,” Jess Hinsley, CFNC’s Associate Outreach Director for the Sandhills region of the state, wrote in her nomination of the school.
Given its close proximity to Fort Liberty, Hinsley said Parker and her school do a particularly good job reaching out to the military families who have students there.
Left to right: Vanessa Stakeley,10th Grade Counselor, Arona Ray,11th Grade Counselor, Tiara Parker, Senior and Lead School Counselor, Shakima Virgil, 9th Grade Counselor, Alfonzo Whittington, Intern Counselor. Photo Credit: Alex Granados/NCSEAA
Parker said the seniors in her school are following a number of different paths after graduation. Some are going to four-year colleges, joining the military, or even entering the workforce. Her job is not all about getting students to apply to a four-year university, she said.
“They may not see a future in going to college, but they apply to Fayetteville Technical Community College, and we connect them with our CTE program coordinator who helps them obtain internships and jobs and maybe helps them with getting into a trade,” she said. “It’s just about helping all students.”
Dr. Joseph Rampersad, Associate Director of College Access for CFNC, said dedicated professionals helping students wherever they may go is what college access is really all about.
“There isn’t one path that’s right for all students,” he said. “It’s essential that we have professionals who help students know their options for life after high school, so they can be working towards the goal they’ve set their sights on.”
To help your students achieve their post-secondary goals, check out the Countdown to College Toolkit.
Image courtesy of ACT.org