Submitted by Labulter on

Would college be an option our College Community Career (CCC) students in the Title I schools we serve?  Perhaps, but for the most part, unless you are in the top 10% in Texas (guaranteed admission to a Texas Public University in Texas), most of our students would end up taking an hourly job after high school graduation with no aspirations of attending college. College Community Career was founded to address the dire need to increase college success among low-income students in the greater Houston area. College Community Career fosters a college-going culture with low income, first generation high school students and families. CCC prepares students for admission to and graduation from a four year university based on these four foundational principals: college success, leadership development, civic engagement and career discovery. Our vision is to have employable civically-minded, college graduates. Our high school program, which begins in grade 10 and continues through senior year, helps low-income students navigate the complex processes of college research and selection, financing, and acceptance, and once they are enrolled, we continue to support them four more years until they get their bachelors degree. Why start in 10th grade?  Courses begin to get tougher, choices to take AP/Dual Credit begin to be made and students begin to get involved in clubs, organizations. Students are on the cusp of really committing to making their dream a reality. College Community Career steps in to boost that dream into reality, help their parents visualize that dream and their teachers to get behind that dream. Our AmeriCorps VISTA members are helping build the curriculum, build our social media presence, work educating families about financial aid, building partnerships with the businesses and nonprofits in our community as well as local school districts so we can serve more students in the Houston area and sustain our growth. With help from our AmeriCorps VISTA members, CCC has grown from 22 students serving one high school to over 350 students serving 8 high schools and 146 college students. College Community Career is changing the path for these students and their families as they enter college and graduate with a degree that will earn a wage to lift them out of poverty, giving them a hand up rather than a hand out. College Community Career is "Changing the face of college success one student and family at a time"