by Christa Funk | May 12, 2021 | News
Four-Year Partnership
In 2017, Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars (DRDFS) partnered with Center Line High School (CLHS). Since then, CLHS student participants have received targeted academic support, and $140,000 in scholarships from DRDFS. Every partner high school shares a passion to help prepare local students for post-secondary success. In addition to partnership with DRFS, CLHS offers students many opportunities to prepare for life after high school.
Students Choose Career Pathways
In a recent conversation with CLHS Principal Andrea Szabo and Next Level Scholars Program Adviser Audrey Kary, they shared details on all the great programs CLHS provides to their students. The school operates under a wall-to-wall career academy model, in which each student chooses a career path and takes focused elective courses in their chosen field. To begin, each 9th grade student patriciates in the school’s Freshman Academy, where they learn about the many career choices available to them. At the end of the year, students choose to attend either the Health and Human Services Academy or the Industry, Technology or Innovative academy within CLHS. This career pathway choice dictates which elective courses they will take throughout their time in high school.
If students want to explore classes within their chosen career pathways that are not offered by CLHS, they are able to seek out various classes offered via the Southwest Macomb Technical Education Consortium (SMTEC). Because CLHS is one of four schools that make up SMTEC, they are able to offer students a wider selection of Career Technical Education (CTE) classes. These courses focus on high-wage, high-demand skills that are needed in today’s workforce.
Other students at CLHS who are interested in pursuing college courses starting in their junior year may choose to join either the dual enrollment program or the early college program, both offered through Macomb Community College (MCC). These programs are offered at no cost to students. It is possible for students to simultaneously earn their high school diploma and associates degrees upon completion of the early college program. In addition to the above, CLHS offers after school programs including Robotics, Engineering Pathway, a C2 STEM program offered through Wayne State University, and more.
DRDFS Impacts Center Line Students
Principal Szabo and Ms. Kary are enthusiastic supporters of the partnership between DRDFS and CLHS. In order to recruit students to join DRDFS, Ms. Kary identifies students who will benefit most from the program. She meets one-on-one to educate eligible students about the program, and guides them through the application process. She and Principal Szabo have noticed the life-changing impact DRDFS has made on students at their school, like a member of the Class of 2021 who decided to attend Oakland University after the virtual campus tour with DRDFS, or the student who decided to follow his passion to become a barber, and the student who decided to attend the University of Michigan after an in-person campus tour in 2019. Ms. Kary added “DRDFS helps students realize and pursue what they really want to do. They know they have people supporting them and they don’t have to do it alone.”
by Christa Funk | May 11, 2021 | News
The Provost Scholarship for Business
In 2019, Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars (DRDFS) worked with David Provost to establish a named scholarship for students who graduate from the Next Level Scholars (NLS) program. The Provost Scholarship for Business is awarded to one student per graduating class. The scholarship provides $10,000 each school year for four years, for a total of $40,000, to study business at Eastern Michigan University (EMU). Each spring since it was established, a senior student has been selected to receive the scholarship.
Seniors in the NLS program who are interested in pursuing a post-secondary degree in business from EMU are encouraged to apply. This year, after many student applications were reviewed, Marcos F., from Center Line High School, was selected to receive the scholarship award!
Scholarship Surprise
Marcos and his mother are surprised with balloons and an oversized scholarship check.
DRDFS staff coordinated with Center Line’s Principal and NLS Program Adviser to plan a special celebration and a Zoom announcement while Marcos was at school. To keep the announcement a surprise, Marcos expected to be interviewed alongside his mother, Primavera, for a newsletter article.
When David Provost joined the Zoom call, he made the announcement, saying, “Marcos, I want to congratulate you and tell you that you have been selected to receive my scholarship to Eastern Michigan University!”
To celebrate, Center Line staff cheered as they presented Marcos and his mother with balloons and an oversized scholarship check.
Mr. Provost went on to say, “When I was your age, someone gave me a scholarship … I hope you can pay it forward years from now to the next person down the line. I am here to help you if you need it over the next four years. My goal is to help make you successful.”
EMU Bound
Marcos expressed his gratitude to Mr. Provost, saying, “You’ve given me an opportunity to not only achieve my dreams, but to give back. You’ve invested in me and for that reason, I have never been more grateful and motivated to do great things.” When he graduates from high school this spring and transitions into the DRDFS Alumni Network, Marcos will continue have access to the vast support system and additional resources that DRDFS provides. Marcos looks forward to attending EMU in the fall, studying business, and learning about entrepreneurship.
Marcos poses in front of Center Line High School with balloons and oversized scholarship check.
by Christa Funk | Apr 27, 2021 | News
A (Virtual) Event to Remember
This March, Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars hosted the 8th Annual (Virtual) Celebration Luncheon. Guests tuned in to the livestreamed show to learn about new program features, hear alumni insight, and see what DRDFS has been doing this school year for students adjusting to a new learning environment.
The event kicked off with students in the Next Level Scholars (NLS) program thanking donors for their impactful support along their post-secondary journeys. Thanks to the support of all event sponsors, including Presenting Sponsors P.R. Ziegler, INC Life Insurance, Seyburn Kahn, and Wells Fargo, this event was a great success. Emcee Paul W. Smith appeared live in-studio to begin the show and guide viewers through the first all-virtual Celebration Luncheon.
Alumni Shares Story
Following the welcome message from Board President, William C. Young, an Alumni took the stage to share his DRDFS story. Sha Azim, 2019 graduate of Center Line High School and the NLS program, is currently enrolled at Wayne State University as a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in finance. In a conversation with Board Member Bill Kingsley, Sha discussed why his education was so important to him at an early age and how his experience with DRDFS enabled him to step confidently into life after high school.
During the interview, Sha shared the following; “My parents moved to the US from Bangladesh to give me better opportunities. That’s why I take my education so seriously and it’s my number one priority. In high school, I was always looking for opportunities to help me go to college. What sparked my interest most about DRDFS was the campus visits and SAT prep. After visiting Wayne State University on a trip with DRDFS, I knew that was the school I wanted to attend.”
Thanks to You
To close the program, Executive Director Christa Funk provided an update on how DRDFS is helping students prepare for success, especially during a time when so many are studying from home. Online SAT test prep, virtual campus tours, increased one-on-one college advising, and access to online tutoring, are just a few of the resources students have access to this school year. This is made possible in large part by those who tuned in and donated to the annual Celebration Luncheon. Thank you for continuing to support local students as they prepare for success in life after high school.
The 8th Annual Celebration Luncheon is available to view on YouTube. Click here to watch!
by Christa Funk | Jan 25, 2021 | News
Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars has been helping local students for more than 30 years
Have you seen our recent Impact Report? Take a look inside to learn more about the history of our program, the impact of Next Level Scholars throughout the region, our students, and the supporters who make it all possible.
by Christa Funk | Jan 25, 2021 | News
For the first time, the Next Level Scholars (NLS) program launched an all-virtual plan for students. The priority of the NLS program is to provide the best possible support to students as they prepare for success in life after high school. In order to achieve this, the program pivoted to introduce new features.
Tutor.com
The newest support being offered to students this school year is online tutoring. With the use of a tutoring platform called Tutor.com, we can make sure that our students are receiving more targeted academic support.
Student user works on a math problem live with a Tutor.
In addition to personalized 24/7 online access to qualified subject-matter tutors, Tutor.com covers more than 60 major subjects, builds confidence in students, and is completely free for each student in the NLS program to use. With help from Eagles for Children, we were able cover some of the cost of this program with grant funding.
“Tutor.com has been such a helpful resource. It has been helping me get my homework done. You can choose from a voice chat or typing chat. While you are getting help from a tutor you can ask as many questions as you want and they will try to answer them in the best way! I’m glad that Next Level Scholars offers this help to us.”
– Omimah Y., Next Level Scholar
Virtual Campus Visits
Visiting college campuses is a major element of the NLS program and student experience. In a typical school year, students visit about eight campuses throughout Southeast Michigan from trade schools to community colleges, and four-year universities. While on these visits, students begin to visualize themselves belonging on a college campus. They are able to interact with admissions professionals, see the classrooms, learn about majors, and get a feel for the difference between large schools and small schools.
Because these visits are so crucial to students as they begin to make decisions about their futures, the NLS program worked with colleges this school year to continue bringing value to students. Virtual campus tours provide a unique look at colleges during a time when large in-person group tours aren’t possible. Recently, the NLS program took students on a virtual visit to Michigan State University.
Pictured here is an interactive google slide where students can click on the images to watch staff videos, read and watch alumni Q&As, and hear from campus admissions.
Because we know that not all students are the same, we also used a traditional classroom model in Google Classroom which outlined the steps that students needed to complete in order to get the whole campus visit experience. Students were able to connect through pre-recorded videos and chats in the classroom, which they really enjoyed.
Inspiring Students
“I think my favorite part of the campus visit was the 360 tours. While it wasn’t the same as being able to go there and experience the campus first-hand, I still got an idea for how living on campus may be. It encouraged me.”
– Cameron C., Next Level Scholar
“Thank you for giving me a chance to see the MSU campus. I really appreciate it!!”
– Richard V., Next Level Scholar
These student quotes reflect that, with the shift to virtual programming, we’ve remained consistent and impactful. Similar to what students experience during in-person campus visits, Cameron C. reflected that seeing the dorms and really getting a feel for campus was his favorite part of the virtual experience. This is exactly what our program (in person or virtual) is designed to do. These visits turn on a lightbulb and ignite a sense of belonging in post-secondary education for our students. Richard V. expresses something we hear from students regularly; thank you messages. Our students let us know how appreciative they are of the NLS program & how we’ve adapted to help them during changing times. We will continue to do everything we can to help inspire and prepare students to succeed in life after high school.
