Josephine Lowery, executive director of College Choice Foundation, poses with students during a visit to Sewanee University. CCF, a Birmingham-based nonprofit, helps high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds prepare for college admission tests, applications and interviews, along with providing campus visits to elite schools. A grant from the Alabama Power Foundation will enable CCF to help more students this year. (contributed)
People who are born and raised in Bessemer never leave. So Jillian Jolly thought until two years ago, when a chance sighting of a College Choice Foundation (CCF) flier on a bulletin board at her high school changed her life forever.
Now, thanks to the help she received through CCF, Jolly is a rising sophomore at Yale University, one of the top Ivy League schools in the nation, and has plans to become either an attorney or a surgeon.
“I was walking down the hall at school when I saw a flier that offered an opportunity for free ACT prep and college visits, and I was sold from there,” said Jolly. “CCF was with me every step along the way, from helping me with the college admissions process to taking me through the transition from high school to college. It has meant the difference between living in a community that is impoverished and lower income to attending Yale University. Yale would not have happened without CCF.”
The Alabama Power Foundation recently awarded a grant to CCF, a Birmingham-based nonprofit that helps high-achieving, motivated students from low-income backgrounds attend a reputable and affordable college or university of their choice.
Through its yearlong Bateman Scholars program, CCF walks with students like Jolly, helping them prepare for taking standardized tests, complete scholarship and financial-aid applications, write college-entrance essays and improve interviewing skills. CCF also provides students with mentoring opportunities and pays for out-of-state travel for college visits.
“We believe that all students can find their best college fit without incurring significant debt if they receive the right guidance and support,” said Josephine Lowery, CCF executive director and co-founder. “The fact that we are receiving this grant from the Alabama Power Foundation is the biggest blessing for our foundation. It will allow us to go from helping 33 students last year to 90 students this year.”
CCF will use the funds to expand its Bateman Scholars program and reach more Birmingham-area students, Lowery said. Last year, CCF students were accepted into more than 100 colleges and universities, and received around $12 million in scholarship awards and financial aid.
The grant will allow CCF to launch its new program EPIC (Earn Your Place in College) and host EPIC Camp College, a three-day intensive college admissions boot camp. Through EPIC and other college admissions support, 25 students will receive preparation for the American College Test (ACT) and have at least one test paid for by CCF. It will also be available to help with financial aid applications, which is a tedious process.
Lowery said CCF originally planned to host the ACT training during a four-day, three-night camp at Birmingham-Southern College this summer. The COVID-19 pandemic forced CCF to regroup and it plans to hold half-day Saturday sessions instead. CCF has found that in-depth standardized-test preparation can help students improve their scores by 5 points or more, she said.
“We are looking for a venue where the students can be far apart,” Lowery said. “If we have to, we’ll do it virtually. That’s what’s so great about our program. We can be versatile and shift with the times. But we will make this happen.”
Lowery, Nancy Hale and Mark Bateman partnered to found CCF nearly seven years ago because of their shared interest in ensuring that all students have the same educational opportunities. The organization started with two high school seniors who graduated debt-free from Washington University in St. Louis. Both will be attending graduate school.
Today, Bateman Scholars attend some of the nation’s top colleges and graduate schools, including American University, Berea College, Pomona College, Boston College, Vanderbilt University, the University of Alabama, UAB, Sewanee University and Yale University.
Lowery said she is proud to have a part in helping students carve out their future. Having been raised in a low-income family, she knows firsthand what they have experienced.
“I grew up on food stamps and the free and reduced school lunch program,” Lowery said. “I didn’t get help with anything until I had a high school guidance counselor who intervened for me. Because of her, I got to attend Sewanee on a full ride. CCF is my chance to pay forward the kindness that someone showed me.”
Lowery said the CCF board and Bateman Scholar alumni invest up to 250 hours in helping students navigate the challenging college-selection process.
“These kids earn their spot,” Lowery said. “We give them the resources and opportunities, and they take it and run with it. It’s amazing to think that we are helping these kids become change-makers.”
This year, Jolly will be a mentor for a new Bateman Scholar. She is spreading the word to family, friends and community about what CCF has meant to her. After college, Jolly hopes to continue sharing her good fortune by investing in kids from low-income communities.
“It has been like opening the door for me to help my sisters and my community get the same opportunity,” Jolly said of her experience as a Bateman Scholar. “Having a success story has allowed others to have a success story, and that means the world to me.”
Article Credit: alabamanewscenter
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