By Kaity Coisman
Contributing Writer
GREEN BAY – As area high school seniors reach the end of their school year, many of them are looking for what their next step is going to be.
For many, it may not be an option to attend college due to a variety of financial struggles.
The CollegeReady program is dedicated to helping those first-generation Green Bay students pursue their college education.
On May 23, the program held its end of the year celebration, honoring 166 NEW Scholars college readiness program participants with the signing of letters of intent for post-secondary education.
Participants in this year’s class were accepted to the UW- Green Bay, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, St. Norbert College, UW- Madison and UW- Oshkosh.
CollegeReady Executive Director Brent Roubal said, “Our students have been working hard to accomplish their goal of pursuing a college education, and it’s an honor to recognize them for their achievements.”
The CollegeReady program helps students not only financially, but also with what steps to take to pursue a college education.
With a staggering difference in statistics, other local programs have 26% of their economically disadvantaged students attending a two-year or four-year university while 100% of NEW Scholars graduates are pursuing a college degree.
The CollegeReady Program is partnered with UW- Green Bay, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and the Green Bay Area Public School District in order to provide their students with the tools they need to be successful after high school.
UW- Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander said during the signing celebration, “Providing access to higher education for everyone who wants to learn is core to our mission. We are proud to be a First Gen Forward institution, and welcome everyone who wants to continue to rise and work to achieve their goals.”
The CollegeReady program is a nonprofit organization establishedin 1962, formally known as Scholarships, Inc., and in that time has rewarded thousands of students with scholarships toward their post-secondary degree.
The program has reported an amazing total of nearly $13 million rewarded in scholarships since the founder of the program, Don McMasters, started the program.
The program’s vison on their website, “… is that every student has access to the tools necessary to pursue higher education.”
With a variety of scholarships available for local Green Bay students to apply for, 90% of their recipients return to college for their second year and subsequently graduate with a degree. Besides the monetary value of the program, CollegeReady also provides students with college prep courses, parent workshops, service learning and more.
Green Bay Area Public School District Interim Deputy Superintendent Judy Wiegand added, “We are grateful to CollegeReady and their NEW Scholars program for breaking down the barriers that exist between our students and their ability to accomplish their goals of higher education. On behalf of the Green Bay Area Public School District, I extend our best wishes to the Class of 2023 and may they achieve great success in the future.”