by Tim Harrison
Resource Development Executive
Last week I had the pleasure of volunteering with a couple of fellow Young Leaders at Cottonwood High School to give some education and career advice to the young men in the AVID program. I must tell you, these guys were impressive individuals.
The AVID program targets students in the academic middle—B, C, and even D students—who have the desire to go to college and the willingness to work hard. These are students who are capable of completing rigorous curriculum but may be falling short of their potential. Typically, they will be the first in their families to attend college, and many are from low-income or minority families. AVID pulls these students out of their non-challenging courses and puts them on the college track: acceleration instead of remediation.
It’s so exciting to see a program effectively helping with that portion of United Way of Salt Lake’s cradle to career pipeline. The discussions and curricula these kids participate in really do propel them forward—much more than simply keeping them from falling through the cracks. My only hope is that we didn’t bore them!
Thank you to my colleagues, the presenters, and Cottonwood High School for letting us help where we can.
