Tuesday, October 27, 2015

October Fellows Spotlight!


Name: Kadiejatu Johnson

Grade: Junior

What is your favorite subject(s) in school? Computer Arts and Chinese

What are you favorite hobbies? Drawing, listening to music, playing video games, and reading

What are your career interests?  Graphic design, photography, and counseling

What do you like best about being in the fellows program? I like that they help us to become a successful person and identify what you need to go down the right path. I also like that they help you explore what you want to become in the future. They will help you by sending you service opportunities and websites that relate to your career interest.

What do you like best about having a mentor? I like that if you have an interest in something they will help you or find someone who will help you. My mentor is very nice to hang out with and awesome in photography and she teaches me about it. My mentor gave me a book about photography that I can borrow, and I appreciate her helping me. 

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Catching Up With Our Freshmen College Fellows!




Check out what one our fellows from the first inaugural fellows class is up to in college!!!

Name: J'Nyce Poe

What college are you attending? I am a freshman at North Carolina Central University

What are you studying? I am majoring in Business and getting a minor in Psychology

How do you like your classes?  I love my classes.  I am taking 15 credit hours and making all A's and B's.  I especially like my History and Intro. to Geography class.  I'm really getting to know my teachers and attending office hours so they know me.

What else have you been involved with on campus?  I am involved with the Nixon Thorpe Psychology Club, the Eagle Sisters, and Gospel Choir.  I also work at the Music Library.

What do you like most about college? I like being on my own and being responsible for myself.  I also like making new connections and networks with people.  It's great being able to provide for myself.  

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

The Psychology of Paying for College

You’ve probably been told that college is an investment worth paying for.  According to the Pew Research Center, college graduates between the ages of 25-32, who are working full-time, make on average $17,400 more annually than students with only a high school degree.   In other words, the price of college is an investment in your future that should pay off in the end.  Paying for college as a new student, however, can seem daunting.  It is not only enough to arm yourself with the right resources and tools to pay for college, but to have the right mindset that says “yes, I can do this.”  

According to the book “1001 Ways to Pay for College”, there are four ways of thinking that can help you in the pursuit of college money.  First, you need to be persistent.   Most students who receive money apply to multiple scholarships many of which have small awards.  However, even small amounts of money can result in a bigger amount if you put them all together.  Even though you might receive more rejections, don’t let that stop you from applying to multiple scholarships.   

Second, you need to get creative.  Did you know that scholarships are available from service clubs, religious organizations, you or your parent’s employers, businesses, professional sports organizations, and others?  You need to expose yourself to as many different scholarships as possible to find the right ones.  From there it is just a matter of finding scholarships that fit your background, talents, and achievements.   Think about what makes you unique and find scholarships that fit these things. 

Third, you need to have a long-term vision.  Paying for college is a marathon, not a sprint.  Break up your goal of paying for college into smaller steps.  Maybe one step is looking for scholarships and grants offered by your college.  Another is researching outside sources for money, and another, filling out your FAFSA.   Remember, every little bit of money you put towards college will help in reaching your end goal. 

Finally, remember to have faith.  Paying for college is a lot of work but it is work well spent.  Have confidence that what you are doing now will pay off in the end.  Don’t forget what you are doing this all for.  This motivation will drive you in your path to paying for college.    

For more ideas about how to pay for college check out:

1001 Ways to Pay for College by Gen and Kelly Tanabe 

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Fellows Spotlight of the Month!


Raquel Adams is a sophomore in the fellows program.  Her favorite subject is English and her hobbies include reading, watching moving, and traveling when she can.  Her hopes to attend East Carolina University or Duke to study medicine and become a pediatric surgeon.  Raquel has been very active in the Fellows program.  She has attended two volunteer events, the NC State Chocolate Festival and the Fall Great Harvest Festival.  She is also a member of the WELL running club.  What she likes best about being in the program is "the support and help you get and having fun.  You get a whole new family." 

Friday, October 2, 2015

Welcome Back Fellows!!!


                                 Feeding goats at the Interfaith Food Teaching Farm 

The Fellows Program has been in full swing this school year.  We held a fellows orientation the first week of August for our 11 new sophomore fellows.  We were lucky to have Hargrave McElroy and Ellan Maynard come to speak to the fellows about Elizabeth and her role as a mother, advocate, and educator.  We also, as a group, volunteered at the Interfaith Food Teaching Farm.  

In August we also held a mentor training for 17 new mentors who were assigned to the new cohort of fellows as well as some junior and senior fellows.  These mentors mostly consist of college students and young professionals working in the area.    


Since the beginning of the school year, the fellows have been meeting with their mentors and participating in weekly meetings.    The senior fellows are busy completing their college applications.  We have visited East Carolina University and UNC Greensboro so far this fall, and plan to visit North Carolina A&T in November.   We have also participated in two other service activities-- one at NC State benefiting Breast Cancer Research, and one at the 2015 Fall Harvest Festival.  Finally, we have started a couple new programs for fellows and Wade Edwards Learning Lab (WELL) members.  The WELL Running Club helps train runners and walkers to complete a 5K in November.  The WELL Writing Lab helps students organize, construct, and edit their school papers and college essays.

                                                 Senior Fellows Visiting ECU!