Document text
http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Obituaries Weather Archive Hot Topics Forum Photo Gallery Video Readers Polls Revels Etcetera Backpage O-Zone Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Online Games Movie Preview October 28, 2006 Mentors help students go to college By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings Sam Groveman felt lost, buried under an avalanche of financial aid and scholarship forms during his senior year. "Suddenly I encountered an overwhelming amount of paperwork," recalled Groveman, now a freshman at Reed College in Portland. He turned to Ashland High School's ASPIRE Program, which matched him up with a mentor, Bill Baine. Whether it was encouraging Groveman to get started with just a few paragraphs on a college application essay or finding newspaper articles about Reed College, Baine helped Groveman navigate the tumult of senior year. "He helped give me direction," Groveman said. "I would lean on him." Based on statistics, Groveman isn't the only one who has benefited from having a mentor. Ashland High School figures indicate mentoring has significantly increased the number of graduating seniors who go to college or vocational schools. Only 66 percent of seniors graduating in the spring of 2004 continued their educations. Academic Counselor Steve Smith started the ASPIRE Program at AHS that fall. The number of graduates who continued their education jumped to 76 percent in the spring of 2005, and then rose still further to 83 percent in 2006. While counselors continue to give attention to affluent students, they have made a point of reaching out to lower-income students, kids from single-parent households and students of different ethnicities. Matching students with mentors gives the students a chance to have a one-on-one relationship that the counselors have little time to provide. The high school has three academic counselors for 1,100 kids, Smith said. "You're there for them," Baine said. "You're an advocate for them." Samantha Kyme, a transition specialist for the high school who heads the ASPIRE Program, said some students don't think they can go on to college. Mentors step in and help the students decide where to apply to go to school - and how to get the loans and scholarships to pay for it. "In Ashland, there is a stereotype that a lot of kids are going to top-notch schools," she said. "But a lot of students are not getting support from home. To tell students we'll help them get into college and help them find the money, you should see the look on their faces. It's priceless." At the high school, 21 percent of students qualify for reduced or free lunches because they are from low-income families, Kyme said. Ashland's reputation as an affluent town keeps some adults from recognizing that many students need help, said Cathy DeForest, another ASPIRE mentor. But many families are at the poverty level, she said. "There are huge needs in this town, but people don't recognize it," DeForest said. "These kids need that level of support because it takes a village. It really does take a village." Sam Groveman A Reed College freshman, Sam Groveman had trouble picking a school because of his wide interests. His mentor, Bill Baine, gave him information about Reed College and its mission to provide a broad-based program that is strong in liberal arts as well as science and technology. They also discussed the merits of different-sized schools and how that would affect the amount of individualized attention Groveman would receive. Groveman's brother had graduated two years earlier from high school and went on to Portland Community College. When Groveman decided to apply to Reed, he and his mother found there were many more financial aid and scholarship forms to fill out for a private school. "It was just as new to her as it was to me," he said. He said Baine was like a rock during the chaos of his senior year. Baine helped Groveman prepare to go to college, but they also found they could talk about other issues in Groveman's life. "It was a big outlet. It was like a pressure valve," Groveman said. "We talked a lot and relaxed. It's amazing how a problem becomes smaller when you're relaxed." Bill Baine Bill Baine had volunteered in other areas before deciding to be a mentor in the ASPIRE Program. Now he is one of the program's work horses. He mentored nine boys and one girl last year and is volunteering again. Mentors may sign up to help one student or have multiple students. Baine said it was not difficult to build rapport with the students. "I'm a good listener. I ask them to talk about themselves," he said. Sometimes the students just need someone who will help them plan their futures, Baine said. "It's important to be realistic and say positive things," he said. "I told a kid some of the things I thought were good about him. He said, 'You think so?' They feel good about that." Baine said sometimes he thinks he is the only adult a student has to confide in. If a student has a severe problem, the high school counseling office is still available to help. He said he was surprised that the experience has led to lasting friendships with some students, including Sam Groveman. "He's in college and we're still in touch," Baine said. "I didn't expect that." Cathy DeForest Now an art gallery owner in Ashland, Cathy DeForest previously worked as a teacher and an assistant principal before moving here. So she knows the problems today's kids face. Without help, getting through senior year, applying for college and deciding on a career path can be overwhelming, she said. "You're there for them and somehow they know that," she said. "I'd recommend to everyone to do it." One student DeForest mentored through the ASPIRE Program wanted to have a career in the arts, but didn't know whether she should be a graphic designer, interior designer or other type of professional. DeForest had her do job shadows with people in different fields. The student also wanted to learn how to run a gallery as her senior project. She helped DeForest hang art, staffed the gallery and learned about the artwork so she could answer visitors' questions. "She had the full gallery experience, from cleaning the bathrooms to opening the door to talking about the art," DeForest said. Staff writer Vickie Aldous can be reached at 479-8199 or [email protected]. Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising Inkjet Printers Student Loans Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Advertisement: Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.