Girard College President Autumn Graves is a woman with a plan. Never one to let pesky little things such as budget problems or reducing enrollment stop her, Graves is on a mission.
Currently, almost 100% of Girard College students are admitted to college. Graves wants to do it one better. She wants graduates to not only be admitted to colleges, but to graduate from them as well. To that extent, Graves wants to put more emphasis on mathematics, science and foreign language. The challenge in doing this is the decline of money that can be spent on improving academics as well as providing scholarships to prospective students. To that extent, they have reduced the number of students they admit.
There’s nothing wrong with Graves wanting her students graduating from college. Every person who runs an educational system has the same desire. It’s also important to prepare students so they are as prepared for college and the work force as their peers, both at home and abroad.
Here’s the rub.
All children learn differently. Some, educationally, are late bloomers. Even the best academic preparation doesn’t guarantee college graduation. Statistics show that half of the students in Pennsylvania who enroll in college straight from high school dropout. The rate is even higher is you’re African American, Hispanic or poor.
If the student is considered at risk, as many Girard College students are, those statistics are even higher. Probably because those students come with their own baggage that they acquired long before college. If they lack coping mechanisms or social skills it’s also unlikely that they’ll be able to attend a college where they have no support.
A key component is providing teens going off to college for the first time with a support system both at the college and at home. If the support at home isn’t there, Girard College students need to be able to get that support from Graves and other staff at the school.
This support may include financial support. In the past, students who were promised scholarships or financial assistance from Girard found the promises to be empty. It’s also important that Girard College prepares their students with life skills.
Students live behind the stone wall where all their needs are meant. After graduation, they are thrust into the real world where they have to make decisions and become independent almost immediately.
Making sure students have support-financial and emotional, the necessary life skills and academics are part of the needed package that will improve their chances of college graduation. Academic superiority alone offers no guarantees.
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