With his mother at home and his father back in Guatemala, Oliver Lorenzo is grateful he’ll be the first in his family to graduate from high school and attend college. But he’s only able to afford his first year at Davenport University, he says, because of guidance from a counselor at Godfrey-Lee Middle/High School.
“If I wouldn’t have had it, I would have missed out on the opportunities of getting help,” said Oliver, who’s relying on grants, scholarships and the Michigan Tuition Incentive Program, as well as $4,000 he’s saved. He’ll live with his mother while going to school.
Michelle Shepardson, left, and her mother, Julanne, go over Michelle’s financial-aid package with teacher Gabe Snyder
“I see the struggle she faces every day,” he said quietly. “I just want to continue to be that support for her,” and make his parents “proud that all the sacrifices they made are paying off.”
His is the kind of success story officials are trying to replicate in Godfrey-Lee, by linking students early on with the counseling and resources they need to enroll and do well in college. The district recently held its inaugural “Rebel College Bootcamp” to help students nail down the financial aid they need, as well as navigate the other requirements of enrolling in college this fall.
In a low-income district where many students are first in their families to attend college, the process can be overwhelming, said Superintendent Dave Britten. All too often students who’ve been accepted don’t enroll because they haven’t filed required forms or gotten the help that’s available, he said.
“You start to hear in August, ‘I’m going to wait and go in January,’ because they didn’t meet a deadline,” Britten said, adding sometimes students end up not going at all. “The biggest thing I wanted out of this is that they felt comfortable, and know if they run into something and they don’t get it, don’t’ be afraid to ask. There’s all kinds of help.”
‘We Don’t Want to Lose These Kids’
Many need help with things like the FAFSA financial aid forms, because their parents struggle financially and don’t have college experience, Britten and others said. Most district graduates are accepted to college, but fewer than half end up attending — often because they need to work and don’t know the aid that’s available.
“Most all the time, the money is there but they don’t understand it,” said Kathryn Curry, Lee Middle/High School principal. “The myth is out there that you can’t go, it costs too much, when it’s just the opposite – the less you have, the more resources are provided.”
The recent event in the school media center aimed to help about a dozen students who showed up for pizza and guidance from counselors and teachers, along with handouts on studying and scheduling. Two representatives of Grand Rapids Community College also were on hand.
Teachers Gabe and Jodi Snyder went online to show Michelle Shepardson her financial aid package and what she still owed Michigan State University beyond that – close to $5,000. They discussed options such as work-study. Gabe advised her, “You have got to show up on campus and talk to someone” – which she and her mother decided to do the next day.
Superintendent Dave Britten talks over college plans with Dino Rodas, who plans to study filmmaking at Grand Valley State University
Michelle didn’t relish paying more out of pocket than she’d planned, or taking out thousands of dollars in loans.
“It scares me, because there’s always interest,” said Michelle, who will major in hospitality business. “It’s like, ‘Here’s $4,000, but you’ve got to pay 12.’”
Many students contact teachers at the last minute to fill out forms, said Jodi Snyder, who helped organize the event: “We always have a few that just don’t make it into college, because they didn’t have anyone to talk to.”
“We don’t want to lose these kids,” she added. “It’s not fair to them just because they don’t know who to ask for help. We need to help them find a way, whatever it is.”
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Hidden Pain: Bringing Youth Mental Health Out of the Shadows is a series on students’ mental health, the sources of their distress, and how schools and communities can help. Photos from School News Network
For students battling anxiety and depression, sometimes the greatest stress comes from seeking success.
In today’s culture of high-stakes testing, high-cost college and all-everything excellence, getting anything less than an A on an exam can push a student’s panic button. So say local students who work to help their peers suffering from mental-health issues.
“A lot of people feel pressure to be the best – that all-star student, athlete, child,” said Bri Houle, a senior at Rockford High School, where 21.5 percent of her classmates have 3.9 grade-point averages or higher. Even though she is a trained peer listener for students having problems, she admits she puts some of that pressure on herself at test time, causing her anxiety.
“If I got a B, my mom would be like, ‘That’s great, that’s fine, it’s just one test,’” Bri added. “But I can’t physically, mentally be OK with that.”
Lucas Buck sees similar anxieties at Grandville High School: students putting pressure on themselves because of test stress, worries about college and careers and balancing their busy schedules. The Grandville senior also sees pressure on his generation coming from social media and hyper-vigilant parents.
“One friend got a B on an AP calculus test and she freaked out,” said Lucas, president of the City of Wyoming Teen Council, which works to get students involved in their communities. Helping students deal with anxiety and depression is a priority for the group this year.
From these student leaders’ perspectives, the relentless push to excel is a major challenge to many students’ mental well-being. But they say problems at home or with their friends, feelings of social isolation and the invasive power of social media also pile onto students’ daily lives, leading some to depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Students Helping Students
Bri Houle and Nick Ignatoski head a group trained to listen to and support students with their problems.
That’s why Lucas, Bri and other students are involved in student organizations that reach out to classmates who need extra support – and, increasingly, professional counseling.
“It’s a huge issue for us,” said Nick Ignatoski, co-president with Bri of a student advisory board for Rockford Public Schools’ Developing Healthy Kids program. “One is too many – one suicide or one person with a mental-health issue is too many. If we can find that one person, that’s our goal.”
Students are pursuing that goal along with school counselors, administrators and agency therapists who say they’re seeing a rise in student mental-health problems. As part of SNN’s continuing series on the issue, educators say they’re making more referrals to mental-health agencies, some of which have had to add beds for teens and children.
Interviews with students in Rockford, Grandville and Wyoming show they share their school administrators’ concerns about the trend – and are trying to do something about it.
At Rockford High School, Bri and Nick are part of a Peer Listeners group trained to meet with students having problems, and refer them to counselors if necessary. They also serve as advisers to the district’s Developing Healthy Kids series, which focuses largely on mental health. At the next public assembly on Jan. 19, students will talk about their pressures and preoccupations, while a therapist will discuss how teen minds work.
So far this school year, 19 students have had meetings with Peer Listeners, who fill out feedback forms about the encounters. Many of those have documented students struggling with depression, said school counselor Sarah Young.
Fitting In, Standing Out
Some of the problems that Young and the Peer Listeners see derive from being in a big school of about 2,000 students. That can breed a sense of isolation in some students, or unintentionally leave a new student sitting by herself at lunch, Young said.
“Especially at a place this big, it’s hard to make a name for yourself or stand out,” said Nick, who competes in baseball and plans to study bio-engineering at Michigan State University. “Students try so hard to do that, whatever they can to find that spot. I think sometimes that is too much.”
This is in a school culture that prides itself on excellence – where “mediocrity is not OK,” as Young put it, and where many students compete to be the top academic achievers. Further, social media can add another kind of competition waged on students’ smartphones.
“Some people definitely care how many ‘likes’ they get on things or ‘favorites’ compared to their peers,” Bri said. “If they don’t get a certain amount of ‘likes’ on Instagram within a certain time, they’ll take it down.”
Worse are subtle forms of cyberbullying. A popular one is “sub-tweeting,” where students post mean messages on Twitter about another student’s tweet, but without naming the person. For the target of the sub-tweet, it can be embarrassing or humiliating.
Bri insisted she doesn’t dwell on her social-media popularity.
“I have my select group of friends,” said Bri, a lacrosse player who plans to study athletic training in college. “What do I care if somebody else doesn’t like the picture I posted?”
Taking Its Toll
At Grandville High School, Lucas Buck said the toll mental-health issues take on students can affect their whole outlook.
Grandville senior Lucas Buck is president of a teen council concerned about student mental health.
“It’s an important subject because someone’s mental health can really dictate how their life is and how they see the world,” Lucas said.
It’s one of his prime concerns as president of the Teen Council. The group partnered earlier this year with the Wyoming Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee to survey Grandville, Wyoming, Kelloggsville and other area high school students about concerns facing teenagers today. One of the biggest was mental health.
Teen Council members plan to choose a cause this year to help students with anxiety, depression and other concerns. Last year, members participated in a three-week Mental Health Series at Wyoming Junior High School to link families with resources and get students involved with positive activities.
“Depression is a big problem at our school,” said Wyoming High School senior Candice McKenzie, a Teen Council member.
She’s also noticed students with tendencies to self-harm — cutting their skin — since she was in middle school. Some hide the cuts and others call attention to them, she said.
Candice said teens face myriad problems in their home lives and get caught up in portraying an unrealistic image glorified by the media. Social media interactions only compound that pressure.
Lucas said there’s still stigma behind getting help for mental illness, but programs like the Be Nice campaign, which is very active in Grandville, are making a difference. Be Nice, started by the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan, educates people about mental well-being, anti-bullying and the importance of treating others with civility.
Student Support is Key
Candice McKenzie says depression is a big problem among her Wyoming High School classmates.
Rockford also has programs in place to support students and spot bullying, such as the OK2SAY state reporting system. It also offers a broad range of clubs and activities, from a Gay Straight Alliance to a women’s empowerment club. These can help students find friends and motivation for school, Bri and Nick say.
Above all, students need involvement – and other students to care about them – in order to feel good about themselves, Nick said.
“Everybody’s different, so it might be a two-person club,” he added. “But if those people are good support for each other, then that’s perfect.”
College costs and career options being what they are, students heading toward higher education would do well to keep a few basics in mind. After all, even President Obama’s daughter Malia has big decisions to make as she chooses which college to enroll in next fall.
Sure, you should scope out possible scholarships well ahead of time, and make sure to fill out that FAFSA form. But do you know how to study properly so you don’t bomb out of Intro to Western Civilization halfway through first semester?
Those are a few of the thoughts offered by area higher-education officials who agreed to provide School News Network with advice for college-bound students. We asked admissions officers to name three things they wish more students knew about college in order to be better prepared for it.
Following are their responses, on everything from making the most of your campus visits to getting your academics up to snuff. Happy college hunting!
Jodi Chycinski, director of admissions, Grand Valley State University
So often students who do well in high school get to college and find the environment very different from the environment in high school.’ – Jodi Chycinski, GVSU
1. Many colleges and universities provide academic scholarships based on the student’s cumulative high school grade-point average and standardized test scores. Beginning with the student’s freshman year, they should be focused on achieving academically as well as they can to give themselves as many opportunities as possible for college in the future.
2. Successful students in college take advantage of resources available to them. So often students that do well in high school get to college and find the environment very different from the environment in high school. It is really important to use services such as tutoring, writing centers and talking with faculty before you feel like you are struggling!
3. Many freshmen share that they do not know how to study when they get to college. They were able to successfully get through high school, but the demands of college quickly make them aware of their own limitations. High school students should spend some time understanding about their own personal learning style. There are many quick assessments online to help them figure it out. Once they know their learning style, they should begin to adjust their study habits in high school and utilize techniques specific to that style that they can carry into college.
Eric Mullen, associate dean of enrollment management and financial aid, Grand Rapids Community College
‘Many eligible students mistakenly believe they won’t be eligible for financial aid.’ – Eric Mullen, GRCC
1. Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)! Too many students don’t. Many eligible students mistakenly believe they won’t be eligible for financial aid because their families make too much money. Big mistake! In 2013, students who didn’t fill out their FAFSA missed out on over $2.9 billion in available Pell grant funds — over $90 million in Michigan alone. In addition, many colleges and universities use FAFSA data to make both merit and need-based awards. Not completing it can mean not being considered for these awards. Need help filling out the form? Just ask the institution you’ve applied to!
2. Is a four-year degree right for all students? Not necessarily. However, having a post-secondary credential is important for all students. Our regional economy requires skilled training and a strong knowledge base. GRCC offers many one- and two-year programs that equip students with the in-demand skills needed to fill great jobs. Also, having a post-high school credential greatly increases your lifelong earning potential and quality of life. Our Career Coach tool can help you explore your options.
3. The basics still matter! No matter what kind of degree or career you want to pursue, being able to read, write and use math will serve you well. Make sure you work with your high school counselor to select classes all the way through your senior year that will help you build this foundation. Need to brush up? A new partnership between Kahn Academy and The College Board provides free SAT preparation and can help boost your academic skills to college-ready levels.
Jessica Simon, coordinator of communications and visitor services, Ferris State University
‘Most importantly, you figure out if a campus feels enough like home to make it yours.’ – Jessica Simon, FSU
1. Ferris does a good job of letting people know that our application is completely free. But we wish students knew just how much other free help is available to them. From tutoring and student groups to counseling and helping you get a job, Ferris and most other institutions offer great resources to help you be successful.
2. You have a lot of choices when figuring out where to go to school, so we always tell students to visit as many of their options as they are able. Ferris offers an admissions presentation, a campus tour and free lunch during our visits, and we also can help schedule a meeting with a program adviser. You get so much out of a campus visit, but most importantly, you figure out if a campus feels enough like home to make it yours.
3. In terms of financial aid and scholarships, we wish parents and students knew to be as proactive as possible. There is a scholarship for just about anything — for example, being left-handed can qualify you for scholarships! Ferris has some great internal academic scholarships, and also has plenty of links to outside scholarship search engines.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
Kent County Health Department vision and hearing technician Denise Knight asks Murray Lake Elementary kindergartener Marley Beauchamp what the dots on a page look like to her.
By: Paul R. Kopenkoskey, Charles Honey, Erin Albanese and Linda Odette – Schools News Network
Marley Beauchamp slips on a pair of 3-D glasses, but it’s not because she plans to munch popcorn while watching a popular animated film.
Instead, Kent County Health Department vision and hearing technician Denise Knight holds in front of the Murray Lake Elementary kindergartener a book that shows a page with a seemingly random array of dots printed on it. Knight asks Marley what she sees, but she is hesitant to answer. Knight then asks if she sees a butterfly. Can she touch the wings on the page? Marley shakes her head “no.”
Known as the Butterfly Stereo Activity Test, this is one of a battery of eyesight evaluations the health department conducts. The screening does not diagnose a potential vision problem, but may refer a student to an eye-care professional for further examination.
“For her to pass the test, she has to see a butterfly,” Knight said. “It pops out as a 3-D image.”
Michigan law requires hearing and vision screening prior to admission to kindergarten. Once a child is in school, free screenings continue on a regular basis, specifically between ages 3 and 5, and then first, third, fifth, seventh and ninth grades. Screenings are provided at no cost to families, and are conducted by a local health department, usually in school.
Seeing is Learning
Whether it’s learning how to read or do fractions, good vision and learning are connected. Experts say around 80 percent of what a student learns in school is from information presented visually.
Students who can’t see properly don’t have a learning disability, but it can be a sign of possible eye health and refractive problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or color blindness, among others. And that can make it tough to understand and remember what was taught.
Those are key reasons why the Kent County Health Department’s vision program, which provides screenings in all schools in Kent County, checks for several things: visual acuity, eye muscle function, nearsightedness, farsightedness and symptoms of other possible eye problems.
In Kent County, of the 52,427 children screened during the 2014-15 school year, 4,620 were referred to an eye-care provider.
Of those, 2,202 students did go to an eye-care provider for an evaluation and treatment, if needed, said Chris Buczek, public health supervisor for KCHD’s hearing and vision screening programs.
Parents may also schedule to have their children screened by appointment at the KCHD, 700 Fuller Ave. NE. They usually choose this option if:
They or school staff have a concern and the student was absent when the KCHD was at the school
The family is new to the area
The child will be entering kindergarten and was not in a preschool or Head Start, where they would have been screened
The student was unable to follow the directions for a successful eye screen when a KCHD technician was at the school
“Often, parents may not even be aware we have been there at the school unless the child does not pass,” Buczek said. “We are required to send letters to parents of all students who do not pass. Some schools will publish in their newsletter that we are coming.”
Vision screenings are essential, experts say, because students may not be aware they can’t see correctly, which can snowball into other problems.
Vision screenings are essential because students may not be aware they can’t correctly see, which can snowball into other problems.
“It is not uncommon for students to have some behavior issues, such as lack of concentration or listening, if they cannot see,” Buczek said. “And students may be able to see better with one eye than the other. This could be amblyopia, where one eye does the work of both, and the ‘not-as-good eye’ is in danger of shutting off. This is the main concern for preschool-aged children, since if it is caught early, treatment can be done to diminish the issue.”
Steve Jepson, president and chief operating officer of Michigan-based Rx Optical, says increased screen time is also being researched for long-term effects on the eyes.
“Many believe that this damage is similar to an accelerated aging of the retina, which is irreversible and has the potential to significantly compromise vision at much younger ages,” he said.
Districts, Professionals Lend a Hand
Sometimes it’s a financial struggle for parents to have their children checked out by an eye-care professional or to pay for glasses. In those cases, school districts can often help bridge the gap.
Forest Hills Public Schools participates in a program called VSP Sight for Students, which covers the cost of an eye exam and glasses for those with no insurance who can’t afford the services and meet specific income guidelines.
If students at Byron Center Public Schools need glasses and parents can’t afford them, they’re referred to BC Ministries. The local group assists families with paying for a more thorough examination and, if needed, glasses through one of the local optometrists.
The Godfrey-Lee district has Cherry Street Health Services come to the schools for a period of time during the school year. The independent nonprofit only assesses students whose parents have completed a form for services through Cherry Street, regardless of whether they have had glasses in the past.
Cherry Street will test students for vision, refer to them to a specialist if needed and furnish glasses for those who need them or need their current prescription updated. They also test for glaucoma, while the district’s nurse, Rebecca Quigley, also inquires about other diseases.
Students age 10 and older can also be seen any time during the school year by appointment in any of the district’s school-based health centers, which are housed at Ottawa Hills High School, Union High School and City High School, as well as Burton Elementary/Middle School. Grand Rapids Public Schools nurses and health department staff work to help families receive follow-up care for students who fail their screenings. Some of GRPS’ schools take part in the See to Succeed Program, provided through Cherry Health Services, which provides dilated eye exams, vision screenings and glasses, if required.
“Parents are notified by their individual school buildings of upcoming screenings via school newsletters and other forms of communication,” said Laura Martzke, GRPS nursing supervisor.
Kelloggsville participates in Cents for Kids, which is funded entirely by the district’s employees through payroll deduction or one-time donation, said Tammy Savage, director of instruction.
Local Businesses Step Up
Dr. Troy LeBaron, owner of Professional Eyecare of West Michigan in Kentwood, has provided free eye exams, frames and lenses to students who are referred by Kent School Services Network, a Kent ISD effort that brings health and human services directly into schools.
Last year, LeBaron’s help amounted to at least $25,000 in exam costs and materials, including repairs or replacement of broken or damaged glasses, he said.
“Over the past few years we have roughly seen around 400 students, and that feels really good,” he said.
LeBaron sets aside time to serve students who can’t afford glasses, as identified by KSSN coordinators. He fits in emergency appointments as well. Students must be referred through school.
“My reward is helping these students become productive members of our community and the many thank-you cards that we have received,” LeBaron said.
He’s expanded his services, which started with low-income students in Kentwood two years ago, to other districts that notify him about a student. He said more people have learned the importance of annual vision and heath exams as a result.
“Teachers are becoming very good at detecting vision-related learning disorders,” he said.
Sparta Area Schools works in tandem with the health department, the Sparta Lions Club and a local optometrist. Vision screenings are done first by the KCHD, usually in the fall at the district’s school. If it’s determined a student needs glasses, they are referred to Sparta-based optometrist Dr. David Harkema.
If parents have financial challenges, registered nurse Amy Roelse coordinates with the Lions Club to pay for the cost of glasses.
“We don’t want finances to be an issue for students,” Roelse said. “If they do not have insurance to cover glasses and can’t afford glasses, I take care of that whole process. I work with Dr. Harkema and the Lion’s Club to get approval for the glasses. The Lions Club picks up the bill, and the organization has never told me ‘no’ in 15 years.”
Connect
To schedule a hearing or vision screening call the Kent County Health Department at (616) 632-7047, or click here.
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
