Fort Worth, TX June 14, 2013
Every morning, Jennifer Reinhard scribbles the names of students on a legal pad.
A senior is deciding which colleges to apply. Another has not signed up to take college entrance exams. A junior needs information on scholarships.
As the college adviser at Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School, Reinhard meets with each of the students, helping them navigate the sometimes tangled maze of college searches and applications, entrance exams and financial aid.
“Many of these students knew nothing about college. Their parents did not go to college. Their friends and family did not to college,” says Reinhard, noting that she herself is a first generation college graduate. “My job is to help them understand that college is within their reach.”
Reinhard is one of 24 recent TCU graduates who work for the Advise TX College Advising Corps, a statewide program designed to increase the number of low-income, first-generation and under-represented students entering and completing higher education.
Advisers work in high schools in cities across North and East Texas, including Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington, Irving and Tyler, among others. Dr. Becky Taylor, Primary Investigator for the TCU program, states that the program is based on the near peer model, wherein high school students are interested in learning more about higher education from those closer to their own age and who can provide a first-hand account of college life.
In its second year, Advise TX already has made significant strides. Nearly 3,000 students this year have applied for early college admission, a 51-percent increase from last year, says Matt Burckhalter, coordinator of the program at TCU.
The program is housed in the Center for Urban Education in TCU’s College of Education, but advisers come from across the university. And because they are recent college graduates, Burckhalter says, they can relate well to students’ concerns and family pressures.
Reinhard, who earned a degree in social work, joined the program because she wanted to work in a school setting.
On a typical day, Reinhard may give a classroom presentation about college to freshmen, help seniors apply for financial aid, coordinate student visits to area universities, organize senior days and lead an after-school meeting of the scholarship club. Throughout the school year, she meets personally with each of the school’s 170 seniors and many in the lower grades.
“Many of my kids have never stepped foot on a college campus,” she says. “They have basic questions. What is college? How does it work? How do you pay for it? What are the SAT and ACT?”
At Diamond Hill-Jarvis, where roughly 88 percent of students are considered economically disadvantaged, obstacles to higher education are numerous, says Reinhard, who is from Colorado Springs, Colo.
Kids are afraid to leave home. People think a high school degree is adequate. Parents want their children to get a job and contribute to family finances.
To help educate families, Reinhard sometimes meets with parents or family members to discuss the benefits of college and financial aid options.
“With a college degree, these kids could do so much to help their families, their neighborhoods, their communities,” she says. “Our job is to help families see this.”
If students do not want to attend college, Reinhard works to ensure they have a post-graduation plan in place.
Maria Ybarra, the school’s intervention specialist, says Reinhard has provided an invaluable service to students.
“She makes them think about their future,” Ybarra says. “They know someone is looking out for them. They know that one more person cares.”
In Texas, the typical high school guidance counselor serves 420 students, making it nearly impossible to provide one-on-one support to students, particularly those who are first in their family to apply for college, Burckhalter says.
Last year, a senior and top student at Diamond Hill-Jarvis wanted to go to college, but she faced a difficult home life. Her mother wanted her to stay home and care for a younger sibling.
Reinhard worked closely with the student to apply for colleges and financial aid. The girl is now enrolled at the University of Texas at Arlington as a business major.
Another student recently had a baby and returned to school this year determined to go college.
“She wanted to give her baby a better life,” Reinhard says. “She is very motivated to get an education and get a good job. She’s an inspiration.”
Reinhard, who will complete her two-year stint at the end of the school year, is now making notes for a new adviser.
“Seeing the students’ excitement when they get an acceptance letter or scholarship is incredible,” she says. “You can just see their lives opening up.”