1. arbiteronline.comthe arbiter
January 21, 2014
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arbiteronline.comthe arbiter arbiteronline.comthe arbiterThe Arbiter arbiteronline.com
strives
STOP
HELP
WANTED
JOBS
College-going
ratesofhigh
schoolgraduates
directlyfrom
highschool.
9th graders
chance for
college by
age 19.
46th 41st 47th 44th 46th
Percentof18
to24yearolds
enrolledin
college.
Graduation
ratesfrom
college(BA
degreeinsix
years).
Retention
Rates–First-
timecollege
freshman
returningtheir
secondyear.
IDAHO
states
bottom
is in the
FOR PEOPLE GOING
On to finish A
4-YEAR COLLEGE
DEGREE.
10
WILL REQUIRE EDUCATION
2 OF 3
NEW JOBS
IN IDAHO BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU FINISH
OF THOSE WITH A
4-YEAR DEGREE.
IF YOU
YOUR EDUCATION WITH
HIGH SCHOOL, YOU ARE
PEOPLE IN IDAHO WHO
RECEIVED EXTENDED UN-
EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
IN 2009,
Tabitha Bower
@TabithaBower
Samantha Walker discovered
a way to give back to the state of
Idaho by participating in a pilot
program at Boise State called
Strive for College. One of the
unique components of Strive is
Walker’s ability to mentor high
school students, some who are
towns away, without so much as
leaving her house.
“This program shows stu-
dents who wouldn't normally
have the resources, the im-
mense opportunities that are
available to them,” Walker, a
freshman chemistry major, said.
Strive: Working toward a
more educated Idaho
Walker is one of 20 Boise
State students working toward
advancing college enrollment
and graduation rates through
Strive, a nationwide non-profit
mentoring program pairing col-
lege and high school students.
Strive’s goal is to support and
assist students in low-income or
underserved areas in successful-
ly going on to higher education.
“Idaho now ranks dead last
nationally for the number of
kids who go on to a two-or
four-year degree,” said Jennie
Sue Weltner, communications
officer for the J.A. and Kathryn
Albertson Foundation. “That is
unacceptable. We need to dra-
matically change this situ-
ation for the sake of our
kids and the state.”
Go On Idaho, GEAR
UP, Don’t Fail Idaho!
(sponsored by the
J.A. Albertson Foun-
dation) and national
Strive for College are
some of the supporters
of Strive at Boise State.
Strive, now a Boise State
student organization, just
finished up its pilot semester.
Boise State is currently the only
Idaho university with a chapter.
In the pilot semester, 31 men-
tees were selected from Emmett
and Homedale high schools to
participate one-on-one with the
20 Boise State mentors.
“Our goal is for Strive to ex-
pand to other campuses in Ida-
ho so we reach more students,”
Weltner said. “One unique way
we plan on reaching kids in
rural areas is through virtual
mentoring so that kids in re-
mote locations can get the help
they need.”
The college students involved
met not only in person with
their mentees, but also relied on
virtual meetings. This pilot pro-
gram was the first in the nation
to incorporate virtual mentor-
ship.
“We can reach out to the rural
areas like Homedale and Em-
mett, where they may otherwise
not be exposed to the college
culture,” said Idaho Regional
Strive
Direc-
tor, Da-
vid East-
wood.
Mentors
and mentees
participated in
a weekly virtual
meeting where the
mentees were guided
through the college
application process,
including financial aid,
scholarships, essays, re-
sumes and more.
Weltner gauged the
program’s success by the fact
that, in the first pilot semester,
numerous first-generation stu-
dents were accepted to their
top-choice universities.
“If that amount of success can
be found in two rural Treasure
Valley towns then there is by far
many more success stories to be
found statewide,” Weltner said.
In the first semester, 259 indi-
vidual mentoring sessions were
completed between Home-
dale and Emmett high school
students and their Boise State
mentors.
“They are given guidance and
encouragement every step of
the way, enabling them to suc-
cessfully enroll and attend a
four-year university after gradu-
ating high school,” said Abby
Lipschultz, sophomore nursing
major and Boise State’s Strive
chapter director.
According to Lipschultz,
while more than two-thirds of
students from families in the
top income quartile go on to a
four-year institution, only 20
percent of students from the
bottom income quartile do so.
“These students in the bot-
tom income quartile are not any
less qualified, but their access
to the resources they need to
enroll in and pay for college is
extremely limited,” Lipschultz
said.
Issues holding students from
the bottom income quartile
back
i n c l u d e
u n d e r s t a f f e d
counseling offices at
public schools and, in many
cases, parents who are unable
to assist students in the applica-
tion process because they never
attended college themselves.
Strive aims to equip otherwise
qualified students with the
tools to go on to and be success-
ful in higher education.
“Strive is important because
we recognize this gap and are
bridging it with college stu-
dents who can relate to these
high school students, serve as
their role models and ultimately
help them unlock and unleash
their potential,” Lipschultz said.
Getting involved:
As the program expands,
Strive is seeking more Boi-
se State student volunteers.
Walkner said working with
Strive does not take a major
time commitment, however,
in the long run, it is beneficial
for each student served, their
communities and ultimately the
state of Idaho.
“We hope that the experience
is impactful for the mentors
too,” Walker
said. “Helping
someone get into college
and being part of such a positive
solution to a statewide problem
is no small accomplishment.”
Lipschultz agreed, pointing
to the busy life of a college stu-
dent as a hard time to become
civically engaged in the com-
munity.
“This semester I was blessed
to witness 20 of my peers in ac-
tion as they gave up a little of
their time to change the lives
of high school students who
previously had little access to
the resources we were able to
provide,” Lipschultz said. “It
is so good to know that these
students will have the oppor-
tunity to attend a university
where they can pursue an edu-
cation that sets them on a path
to achieving their goals and
dreams, and we helped to make
that possible.”
Strive representatives will be
at the Get (IN)volved student
organization fair on Wednes-
day between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
with more information on be-
coming a mentor.
EVERY YEAR OF SCHOOL
AFTER HIGH
SCHOOL
INCREASES YOUR
WAGES BY
10%-20%
END
WHO
THEIR EDUCATION
WITH HIGH SCHOOL
CAN EXPECT TO EARN
HALF
TO BE OUT OF WORK FOR
MORE THAN SIX MONTHS,
COMPARED TO SOMEONE
WITH A COLLEGE DEGREE.
5 TIMES
ENDED
MORE LIKELYIDAHOANS
50,489
9 OF 10
OF THE
HAD LESS THAN A
BACHELOR’S DEGREE.
Boise State
page Design Megan Nanna/THE ARBITER
Student mentors pair with high school students,
provide them with tools to achieve higher education
Statistics retrieved from www.Go-On-Idaho.org/know-the-stats/