Friday, May 1, 2020
The ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in the loss of millions of jobs. Though some of these job losses are temporary, others will be permanent. As they look for ways to return to work, many newly-unemployed individuals...
Thursday, April 9, 2020
As the leader of an organization with a deep focus on closing equity gaps and opening up pathways to economic opportunity, the COVID-19 crisis gives me substantial heartburn. It also gives me hope.
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
What is one of the most powerful predictors of a student’s likelihood to enroll and succeed in higher education? Whether that student earned postsecondary credit while in high school—through completion of a dual enrollment course, passage of an Advanced Placement...
Friday, December 20, 2019
Pablo Picasso famously stated that “goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”
Friday, December 13, 2019
In a time of immense disagreement on Capitol Hill, one thing Democrats and Republicans agree on is the need to fix the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This week, Congress passed bipartisan legislation to simplify the FAFSA for...
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
October 1 means the start of a new cycle for completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In my previous work at a local education agency and in higher education institutions, I had the opportunity to counsel families...
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
As the 2019 track and field world championships take place in Doha, Qatar this month, I am really looking forward to my favorite event: 4×100 relay. This event tops my list because of what it represents – teamwork at its...
Monday, June 17, 2019
As a program director at City University of New York, LaGuardia Community College, I shared an office with the College’s Emergency Fund administrator. The Fund, which provides grants to students to cover small expenses such as textbooks, transportation or other...
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
As a first-generation college graduate, the success of first-generation college students is a personal priority. With #CelebrateFirstGen trending on social media last week as part the First-Generation College Celebration, I began to think about the important role that policymakers and...
Thursday, August 9, 2018
In the coming weeks, approximately 2 million students will enroll in college. As a former higher education administrator, I have witnessed the excitement and nervousness that the opportunity to pursue a postsecondary credential has for countless students and their families....
Friday, November 17, 2017
My high school and college agriculture programs taught wonderful courses in welding—courses that were grounded in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and of course, vocational practice. As valuable as these classes were to earning a degree in agriculture science, neither could compare...
Sunday, September 24, 2017
For a majority of Americans in the 20th Century, the route to economic and career success was simple and direct: graduate from high school and find a blue-collar job or clerical role that provided stable employment and paid good wages....