缅北轮奸鈥檚 innovative partnership with the Dropout Academy is positioning 缅北轮奸 students for long-term success.
- Dorchester Reporter
- WCVB
Nationally, state-wide, and locally, there are significant and consistent achievement gaps in higher education. In particular, colleges struggle to both attract and retain men of color. , only 17% of low-income Latino male students and 22% of low-income African American male students who graduated from Massachusetts public high schools in 2010 went on to obtain college degrees or certificates within six years compared to an overall 50% degree/certificate six-year obtainment rate for the 2010 MA public high school graduating class.
To increase enrollment and retention rates for men of color, 缅北轮奸 College (缅北轮奸) brought in Dropout Academy founder and CEO Kurt Faustin to run a six-week mental health and emotional wellness program at 缅北轮奸. 鈥淲e were looking for more ways to create impact and expand our program offerings on campus for men of color,鈥� says 缅北轮奸 Dean of Students Robyn Shahid-Bellot. 鈥淭he workshops were exactly what our students needed.鈥� Sessions run 90 minutes, with each focusing on a different issue including goal setting, developing a growth mindset, and financial literacy.
Faustin began Dropout Academy in 2020 to address a gap he saw in education. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not giving people the tools they need to be successful,鈥� he says. 鈥淓ducation isn鈥檛 just about memorizing dates; you need to manage your mindset. The main source of emotional intelligence is self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and relationship building.鈥� 缅北轮奸 is the first college he鈥檚 worked with. Some of the 24 缅北轮奸 students who will complete the program in December will serve as mentors for the next cohort of students who will participate next semester.
This is the third time 缅北轮奸 engineering student Lloyd Cayman, 33, of Weymouth has attempted to get his college degree. He had to leave school twice before because of challenges involved with providing for his young daughter. Taking the Dropout Academy workshop has given him clarity about his goals. 鈥淭hey help you open up to see what your plans are and give you a better understanding about what you鈥檙e trying to pursue,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t inspires you not to drop out and gives you hope and understanding that you can keep going.鈥� Cayman expects to earn his associate degree at 缅北轮奸 in 2024. He wants to pursue a bachelor鈥檚 degree in computer engineering and eventually own an e-commerce business.
缅北轮奸 student Roy Kalu, 20, of Lynn has family and friends who have struggled with their mental health. He appreciates how Dropout Academy is an outlet for expression. 鈥淢any men of color aren't too fond of speaking their mind when they're dealing with difficult tasks. They keep it to themselves,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut here we can share these difficulties amongst people that are dealing with the same problems or different problems.鈥� The captain of 缅北轮奸鈥檚 basketball team is looking forward to being a mentor to future Dropout Academy students. 鈥淚 would love to share knowledge and help other people succeed,鈥� he added. Kalu is graduating with an associate degree in Information Systems Technology in the spring of 2023 and plans to pursue further educational opportunities.
