GEAR
UP Makes College Real
Success
Stories - #2005 - 001
Yolanda
knew her daughter was determined not to go to college. The
only way to convince her she decided was to go to back to
school herself. Leading through example
did the trick. Her daughter, Nichole, started at Kennedy-King
and transferred this winter to Columbia College.
"I
was so afraid to take that step to go back to college,"
says Yolanda Watson, GEAR UP parent from the Chicago Woodlawn
Network. "I didn't know all the questions". Now,
"we do the television show to help you with the process."
she says referring to Parent to Parent, the parent-produced
TV show, which provides families with vital information about
college.
"It
was always, I'm going, I'm going … but …I just didn't
have the push I needed or the information that I needed to
get started." Then GEAR UP came along.
"I
just needed somebody to get me the information to get started.
[Then] I could do it myself."
GEAR UP
helps teachers, students and parents assume responsibility
for preparing for college. GEAR UP helped parents organize
a field trip to Kennedy-King Community College. During the
trip, Yolanda filled out an application. When she went home
that day, she said "Guess who's going to school?"
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