Next Steps 2023-2024: A Year in Review
Earn to Learn’s Next Steps Program is once again concluding a successful year of supporting students in Title One high schools across Arizona. Despite its name, Next Steps serves as the initial step in Earn to Learn’s mission to bolster post-secondary attainment, providing Near Peer Advisors in select schools throughout the state. These advisors, leveraging their recent student experiences and specialized training, act as supplemental counselors with a focus on college readiness.
Our advisors not only enhance post-secondary resources but also enable school counselors to address other student needs. A site supervisor at San Tan Foothills High School, one of five new school partners this year, praised their assigned advisor, stating, “The Next Steps Advisor has been a great asset to our students. They help with college applications and completing the FAFSA. Amidst the chaos of FAFSA and college acceptance/award letters, they guide students through the process calmly and helpfully. This support allows my team and me to focus on other aspects of our School Counseling duties.” Anecdotes like this are a testament to the immeasurable impact our team’s work has on streamlining the transition from high school to post-secondary education.
Over the past year, the program successfully enlisted 47 advisors, with some serving at multiple educational sites. This accomplishment was made possible by the dedicated efforts of Flor De Liz Matus, MJ Chamberlin, Max Berry, and Aimee Miranda, who sifted through and interviewed over 200 applicants. Supporting and orienting these advisors throughout the school year is a significant undertaking, especially given the FAFSA complications that have dominated the post-secondary education landscape this year. Despite these challenges, advisors managed over 3,200 interactions with students, with many feeling accomplished and deeply connected to the communities they serve. Advisor Penelope Foy shared, “Serving students from my former community has been amazing. I see students in the same position I was a few years ago. When they talk to me, their worries and anxieties about college ease when I share my own experiences. They become more invested when I mention that I’m in my third year of college without loans and more willing to talk when they know I grew up in the same neighborhood. They start to see themselves as capable of pursuing higher education, whether at a four-year university or another institution.” This sense of connection that resonates with both the advisors and the Earn to Learn team is part of what makes our program so successful.
As we celebrate this year’s achievements, the work for this incredible team continues. With the new school year on the horizon, we take a moment to appreciate the tremendous contributions they make to our communities, schools, and children. Let’s pause to celebrate their hard work and the invaluable support they provide.