Power to the People
The Power of YOU program can open the door to a bright future.
Not much of what's happened in the past two years has gone the way Harrison Jones expected it to.
Jones, who graduated from Highland Park Senior High in St. Paul in 2006, didn't expect to go to college. Even after he enrolled at Saint Paul College, he didn't think he'd be able to finish the two–year program. And he certainly didn't expect to be preparing for another two years of college at the University of Minnesota.
"Pretty much none of this was in my plans," Jones admits. "It's all been a surprise. I figured that I would just find a full–time job after high school and start working, so this has been a big turnaround."
Jones's change of plans was facilitated by the Power of YOUTM, which covered the cost of tuition and fees for his two years at Saint Paul College (the program also covers credits at Minneapolis Community and Technical College or Metropolitan State University). He and 60 other students who joined the program when it started in the fall of 2006 are finishing their first two years at Saint Paul College this spring.
Some will finish their degrees and find work. Others are continuing on at Saint Paul College. Some, like Jones, are transferring to other institutions to earn four–year degrees.
"The majority of these students were not even planning on attending college," says Kathleen Gordon, the director of Power of YOU at Saint Paul College. "The fact that they have persisted on to the two–year mark is truly exciting. I'm finding that many of them are shocked by what they have been able to achieve."
Count Jones among them. "To be honest, I didn't think I'd even be able to finish the first year," he admits. "I had a lot of things going on in my life that I didn't know how to deal with, and I had many thoughts about quitting. But I got a lot of support from the staff. They helped me a lot."
Jones's degree from the University of Minnesota will likely be in Youth Studies, a new program designed to prepare people to work with young people in various settings. That, too, has been an unexpected development. One of the only work–study jobs available when Jones started was in the on–campus child care center; although he wasn't sure if it was a good fit, he took the job. "It took me a while to get used to it, but now I really like it," he says. "I like seeing how the kids grow and develop, how they learn new things and start to interact with each other."
Changing Plans
Like Jones, Felicia Hardy changed her educational plans after attending Saint Paul College through the Power of YOU program. She had planned on running her own business, but realized once she started classes that she's not cut out for management. "Now I'm in Business Administration," Hardy says. "I'm a doer, not a manager. I like to be busy and to get things done."
The next item on Hardy's to–do list is to decide what to do after she graduates this spring. "I?d like to transfer to Metro State," she says. "Otherwise, I can find a job and work full–time."
Both are options that Hardy wouldn't have had without the help of Power of YOU — which is why she's quick to recommend the program to friends and family. "It gives you so many opportunities," she says. "Even if you think you're not college material, the Power of YOU gives you a lot of help and support, and the financial aid you need to get started."
Gordon echoes that sentiment. "The goal of the program is to make a positive impact on students, many of whom might not otherwise have been able to go to college," she says. "We're pleased that we've helped the students from the first Power of YOU class find success, and we look forward to continuing the momentum."
Learn more about our Power of YOU program.
