While many schools have college counseling centers, not all have hands-on programs like ASPIRE.
ASPIRE is an Oregon state-funded program that supports students who have been historically underserved in the college process, according to ASPIRE coordinator Audrey Yue.
“A lot of students come from very different, challenging socioeconomic backgrounds. They don’t know how the post high school system really works,” said Yue. “So [ASPIRE mentors] try to reach out to those students and ask them what their post high school plans are around their junior or senior year and kind of set up a process for them.”
The ASPIRE mentors available at Lincoln are two Lincoln parents who work one-on-one with students to give them assistance in planning for their post-high school education.
Nadia Pavloff, a senior who works with the ASPIRE mentors, believes that ASPIRE is supportive and inclusive.
“ASPIRE has helped me feel like I am important, and not just a cog in the system, but that I am someone who has a future,” said Pavloff.
Yue says juniors often find ASPIRE useful because it gives them time to figure out their two-year or four-year college plan. ASPIRE mentors help students explore how to pay for college and also how to get a jumpstart on the application process.
Yue says working with ASPIRE is something students can put on their resumes and applications to show that they are serious about attending college.
“[ASPIRE] does go on applications, [the college] could be for two years or four years,” said Yue.
ASPIRE works to go above and beyond to help students stay on track with weekly check-ins with their mentors, daily work to help build applications and essays, and one on one meetings.
At first, mentors are a guide for students, but then they start letting students have more independence and ownership about their process.
“ASPIRE has given me steps for every part of my college journey and has given me support in even editing my college essays and keeping them organized,” said Pavloff.
