College Visions

DONOR PROFILE WITH NORA CROWLEY

“Until colleges and universities scale up their support for first-generation students and students from low-income households, and until we drastically reform the financial aid system in the United States, I’m going to do whatever I can to support the College Visions effort.”

During this busy season, we really appreciate Nora taking the time to share some information about herself and why she supports CV.  As Managing Director of Impact at City Year Providence, Nora knows the strengths and energy of young people in Providence, as well as the challenges they face.  We are proud to have Nora on the CV team, and we hope you will read her insightful interview below!
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COLLLEGE VISIONS ALUM PROFILE: LIANA WEEKS

Your support matters because it made me not want to quit knowing that so many people contributed to help me. It made me want to be better and make you proud.

As you know, College Visions supports students to apply to college and then continues to coach students until they earn college degrees.  Our first step is encouraging students to apply to schools with high graduation rates, strong financial aid, and good support for first-gen students.  Sometimes our students make the bold choice to attend a college they had never before considered.  Liana is one of those students.  With your help, she is a proud graduate of Smith College.
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COLLEGE VISIONS SUPPORTER PROFILE: MARGUERITE PILE

I was privileged to have extraordinary educational experiences. I believe in putting my money where my mouth is (or supporting my values) so it was an easy choice to donate to College Visions which makes educational opportunities available to others.”
 
Generous people like you make College Visions possible! People like you believe in the potential of young people, and show your support by volunteering and donating. Marguerite is Pile one of our amazing CV donor/volunteers and we want to share her story with you.

Could you tell us a little about yourself?
I grew up in Lexington, MA and have lived in Chicago, IL, San Francisco, CA, and Providence/Pawtucket for the last twenty-two years. After a long career in nonprofit and business working with people to enhance their lives and work environment, I am now actively engaged in my passion for painting and creating art.

Is education important to you and why? What was your educational journey like?
As a child I had the good fortune to have an excellent education. Both in Grammar and High School I was in an accelerated program. My early education left me with a lifelong eager desire to learn. My first Masters was in Social Work, and later my company sent me to school in Washington DC for a second Masters in Organizational Development. Today, at the Providence Art Club, I continue my lifelong learning by taking multiple art courses.

How did you connect with College Visions?
An important reason I first donated to College Visions was because at a Rhode Island Foundation luncheon there were two outstanding young women who sat at our table. I was impressed with their confidence and ability to engage in intelligent conversation with strangers and people much older than they. Those young women were from College Visions and acted as great ambassadors for the organization.

Do you think College Visions is an important resource to the community?
Yes! I believe College Visions is an important aid to community development by focusing on populations that otherwise might miss the opportunity of College if not guided in the application process and throughout their college years. I believe education is important no matter what economic or “class” level you were born into. Society benefits as a whole when we are more inclusive. I have volunteered at a review of essays day and would be happy to do so again.

Big thanks to Marguerite for your generous dedication to College Visions students!

MEET LUIS: GEARING UP FOR COLLEGE APPLICATIONS

Each year, College Visions welcomes a new group of 12th graders who have a vision of walking across that stage with a college degree in hand. Luis M. is one member of CV’s diverse class of 2017.  . Luis was born in Charallave, a small city in Venezuela, and is currently a senior at Cranston West. Luis likes to play the piano and loves all things electronic; he even built his own machine. He is ready to take on the new challenges of the college application process.
It’s been fantastic so far. There have been so many activities that have been engaging and CV has made the college process less overwhelming. Through that summer workshop that I did for the week, I was able to learn so much during that time. From just the financial aid to the resume building workshops; that was so helpful to me. That’s what I love about CV, they make it engaging.
Thanks to your support, Luis is on the path to a college degree. Young people like Luis who join College Visions are entering and graduating from college at extraordinary rates. 97% of College Visions enroll in college and 65% graduate within 6 years!
Read his interview below to find out more.

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ALUM SPOTLIGHT WITH PAULINE OCHIENG

Did you know that College Visions is now celebrating 225 college graduates?  We are so proud of our hardworking alums, who keep giving back to College Visions.  Pauline is an alum of both College Visions and Union College.  As she makes a big transition from her career as an electrical engineer to pursue a Master of Science degree in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship at Brown University, Pauline took some time to share reflections on college and College Visions with you:
Pauline Ochieng

Union College ‘14

Electrical Engineer

Hobbies: Reading, Rafting, and Painting

How are you connected to CV?

I went through the high school program (CAP) and then I went through the college program (CSP). Now, I’m engaged in alumni events and support with fundraisers. I come to different events whenever I can.

What was an obstacle that you had to overcome during the college application process?

Fear of rejection and taking it way too personally. It’s a serious step, but it’s not that personal. The world is not ending just because you were or may be rejected.

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