A
Call to College
Diane DeLawder, Program Director
740.328.2255
ddelawder@laca.org
Tracy Ellington,
Challenge Program Director
740.328.2255
tellington@laca.org
A Call to College,
Newark's college access program was founded by the vision
and generosity of Newark High School alumni. With help from
the community, it serves Newark High School students, remains
anchored in the community, and is its vision for the future.
It's a vision
that started in 1988 with one man, Louis A. Mitchell (Newark
High School Class of '53). Mitchell saw the success of Columbus
City Schools' I KNOW I CAN college access program, and wanted
Newark students to have the same opportunities. With matching
funds from County Savings Bank, Mitchell challenged alumni
to contribute money for scholarships. They responded generously,
giving $125,000 that very first year. With matching money
from the bank, an endowment fund was set up in 1991, and under
the direction and guidance of Jane McConnell, the vision of
college access came into focus.
A Call to College
is the best thing that has ever happened to us as parents
and to our children," said one parent. "Without scholarship
programs like yours, it would be virtually impossible for
my daughter to live her dream of going to college," said another
parent.
In nine years,
A Call to College has awarded last-dollar grants to 837 students.
The program has advised 2,798 students, helping them locate
additional funding sources and navigate the maze of paperwork,
working with them through federal and college financial aid
applications, career choices and colleges, and holding their
hands through the stressful process of comparing college award
letters.
"All of this
has been accomplished through the enormous dedication of hundreds
of volunteers," said Diane DeLawder, program director. " A
Call to College has just two employees, and they are part-time
workers. This is a community program, a program for the students
of Newark High School. The community has poured its heart
and soul into the program, and the community will reap the
rewards."
More than 5,837
volunteer hours have been logged over the past nine years.
Volunteers counsel students one-on-one; they lead financial
aid workshops during evening hours; they work with Ohio State
University-Newark to arrange campus tours; they raise money
to keep the vision alive and thriving.
"What a fantastic
legacy Newark is building," DeLawder said. "It's a legacy
of growth and opportunity, of hope and success."
It is a legacy
that continues to grow with each graduating class. And it
is a legacy that is not lost on youth.
"I want to
take this opportunity to thank you for the financial aid that
you have so generously given to me," one student recently
said. "It is wonderful that your organization recognizes the
importance of a college education and is actively fighting
rising costs. I hope that by pursing a career in education,
I can return what you have given me in the future." |