Allan Appel Photo
Seniors Pottinger and Fletcher.
Devonte Fletcher, who plays the trumpet and is the band’s drum major, wants to be a music/ band teacher — preferably right back at Hillhouse High School in the years to come.
Flutist Iyonna Pottinger is equally passionate about majoring in music education, but wonders whether she should apply at an historically black college or to an in-state school where tuition is less.
Those two and the 241 other Hillhouse High School seniors began to answer those questions and formally planning for their college or other post-secondary school lives Wednesday morning.
They participated in an annual American College n Campaign which, along with the participation of New Haven Promise, is seeking to increase the number of first-generation and low-income students pursuing a college degree or other higher education credential.
Students in all nine high schools in the city participated in the day-long series of workshops on topics such as college essay writing, literacy about financial aid, navigating the common application, applying to New Haven Promise,and roll playing mock college interviews.
That latter is particularly important to Iyonna and Devonte. They said they are less worried about getting their applications in and more about acing the musical auditions required in any school they would hope to enter.
“I’m going to pick the hardest, most frustrating piece [of music] and do it beautifully, ” said Devonte, who lives the Hillhouse band and its teachers.
Hunter has organized a junior version of his college fraternity at Hillhouse.
District Lead School Counselor Dr. Chaka Felder-McEntire complimented the Hillhouse High seniors gathered in the spacious auditorium. She briefed them about choosing, minimally, one “reach” school and one “safety” school; that is, having a Plan A and a Plan B.
She also made sure the kids were locked in on the difference between “early action” and “early decision.” The latter is binding, but not the former. And if you go with “early action,” which is often required before Christmas,” then you can “chill” and have a relaxing time with your family during the holidays, with at least one school waiting for you, Felder-McEntire noted.
She urged the teens to get their parents on board especially on getting in their FAFSAs.
Translation: Free Application For Federal Student Aid. To be eligible parents submit their tax returns.
Felder-McEntire said the goal this year is to have the city’s seniors submit 10,000 college applications by the campaign’s Dec. 15 deadline. If you apply on March 15, you’ll get the “FAFSA leavings,” she admonished.
“Procrastination and senioritis are not your friends senior year,” she added.
HH ‘99 motivational speaker Tai Richardson said his guidance counselor set him on his path.
One person who is definitely the kids’ friend is Olafemi Hunter, one of only two guidance counselors on staff at Hillhouse. Although he has some other staff back up, he and another counselor split the class of 243, and guide them through the process, which includes individual meetings with all 243 students in addition to all the workshops, trips, and other sessions.
Hunter is in his third year as a guidance counselor at the school.
Prior to Wednesday’s kick-off his team had already organized two workshops on financial aid.
Hunter said he takes heart from one of apothogems that’s a favorite among the brothers of his college fraternity, Omega Psi Phi: “The difficult we do immediately. The impossible takes a little longer.”