Our team at Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars (DRDFS) places a priority on collaboration. Working together and sharing ideas isn’t just a great help for students looking to attain career skills, it’s also a process we believe strengthens our organization and our support for students. That’s why Executive Director Christa Funk and Program Director Jill Marecki attended the 2024 National College Attainment Network (NCAN) Conference in Anaheim, CA — to listen, learn and share insights with peers across the country focused on helping students not only get to college but through college as well.
Strengthened Focus on Career Preparation
At DRDFS, we are focused on helping our students not only succeed in college but also seamlessly transition to their future careers. We believe that a post-secondary degree or credential is just the beginning — students also need to develop and demonstrate essential workplace skills to thrive in the professional world. In 2024, success includes earning a degree and being prepared to excel in their career pathway.
Representatives at NCAN — including educators, administrators and corporate partners seeking to hire recent college graduates — discussed the essential qualities they consider for long-term professional success. Aligned with these qualities, we identified four main areas that we consider key for our students’ career readiness:
• Coachability: Can students learn and implement new concepts and workplace-specific skills when paired with a mentor or supervisor?
• Attention to Detail: Do students double- and triple-check their work for errors or potential improvements?
• Ability to Work Independently: Can new grads take on a challenging task without needing step-by-step directions?
• Critical Thinking: When posed with a unique challenge, are new hires able to solve the issue by finding a unique solution?
By reinforcing these skills at the high school level and continuing to develop them in college, students learn to be adaptable and confident in navigating the challenges of their post-secondary and career pathway. We believe that adaptability and confidence can give students a head start in an increasingly competitive job market, improving early professional success.
Executive Director Christa Funk and Program Director Jill Marecki attended the 2024 National College Attainment Network Conference.
Enhancing Support through CareerSpring
A critical component of making the connection between career goals and post-secondary education is DRDFS’ partnership with CareerSpring, a nonprofit that helps students explore pathways and guides them through the process of applying for and securing college internships as well as their first career role after post-secondary graduation. At the high school level, CareerSpring connects college-ready students with career path interest surveys and an extensive video library of real professionals sharing their pathway and role. College students are offered the same resources as the high school level, layered with opportunities for 1-on-1 advising from industry professionals, interview coaching, resume review and even a job placement board where corporate partners post jobs or internships on their exclusive platform.
CareerSpring’s hands-on approach allows students to identify and prioritize their post-high school opportunities and, once they’re in college, take the steps to turn their biggest career goals into reality. These resources give access to meaningful employment opportunities with employer partners, helping to build a strong career pipeline for DRDFS students.
Looking Ahead: Career Readiness Paves a Path for Success
If there’s one takeaway from the NCAN Conference: it’s that students — and DRDFS — need to continue to prioritize adaptability. At DRDFS, we’re already prioritizing this by actively engaging our alumni to ensure they’re equipped with the transferable skills that today’s job market demands. As the workforce evolves, we continue to adapt our programs to help students and graduates stay ahead of the curve and succeed in their careers.
By taking advantage of new information and strategies learned at NCAN, DRDFS can reinforce the foundation for future students who come through our program. Inspired by the NCAN workshops and networking with educators from across the country, DRDFS is better positioned than ever to advance our vision: to provide equitable opportunities for students to earn a post-secondary credential, reach their goals and strengthen our communities.
“I grew up without a clue of what I wanted to do, or where I wanted to go in life, until I had the opportunity to join Dollars for Scholars my sophomore year of high school. From visiting campuses, to SAT prep, the guidance I received from the program changed my entire outlook.
“From college tours to financial aid, Dollars for Scholars has greatly impacted my path to higher education. As a first generation college student, deciding where I would want to continue my education and figuring out how I would get there was a difficult process. My family and I lacked the time and transportation necessary to visit schools, and this limited me in figuring out my future.
“When joining Dollars for Scholars, I was eager to visit colleges and earn scholarship money. Being able to look at all the different schools with other students I could relate to was so reassuring. Dollars for Scholars was able to answer my questions about the ins & outs of post-secondary education, as well assist me with applications. This extra help was so motivating.
“Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars is a life-changing program. Before high school, I was going down a path that if most kids took, they’d end up either dropping out of school or going to jail. Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars helped inspire me to get on a better path by showing me how to prepare for college. Hearing other students’ stories made me feel like I could be successful both in high school and post-secondary education.