Trying to coordinate a program among students from three Lynn public high schools who have already been thrown into their own uncertainty by a stay-at-home order has been daunting for the La Vida scholar program.
But, said executive director Peter Barros, it could have been a lot worse.
“If there’s any group of kids who could adjust to this type of environment (learning remotely, as opposed to one-on-one and small-group mentoring) seamlessly, it’s this age group,” said Barros last week as he prepared to bid farewell to 45 seniors from English, Classical and Lynn Vocational Technical Institute. “But it’s been an adjustment.”
La Vida is a college preparatory program that endeavors to link low-income students with the colleges and universities that best fit their needs, both academically and financially. The staff at the Munroe Street office takes students through all aspects of the college process, from applications to SATs to acceptances and visits.
All 45 students applied to and were accepted into institutions of higher learning. There are 45 more juniors in the program. The 90 students represent La Vida’s highest volume of scholars yet.
There have been hardships, Barros said.
“Four families within the program had members who came down with COVID-19,” he said. “We had to figure out how we could support them. Everybody’s done fine, God bless, but we obviously had to think about how this is hitting Lynn. How could we support these families.”
Along with the sickness came the financial hardships some of the families — already, by definition, struggling — faced as the result of the pandemic.
“We’re concerned with families where there’s been a loss of jobs, and are experiencing financial challenges,” he said. “We have students who are doing this, along with the regular schooling, and are still working,” he said. “They have to help contribute to the household income. Their families depend on them. There are a lot of challenges here.”
He said the seniors are in decent shape. Most of them have made their commitments, but there is still a sizable number who have not.
“May 1 is generally the national commitment day,” Barros said, “but some colleges and universities have been flexible with that. Those of us who haven’t committed already should have their decisions made by June 1.”
But the juniors have borne the brunt of the social distancing restrictions, he said.
“Their year ended abruptly,” Barros said. “Next year is going to be one of the most unusual and unprecedented years in their lives. The ACTs and PSATs were canceled. Obviously, they’re going to have to be rescheduled. That’s an integral part of the process.
Another aspect of the college admissions process that has taken a serious hit is visits.
“We’ve been scheduling sessions with colleges remotely every week,” he said. “We invite our alumni or current undergrads from those colleges to speak with students. We ourselves have gone to having weekly remote seminars. We do breakout sessions so our students can be in small groups.”
Also, the program has availed itself of the expertise of its current scholars.
“Our juniors got to talk to seniors about what their process was like,” Barros said. “They offered different stories, and a lot of advice.”
With all the constraints, however, Barros considers the year a success.
“We recaptured the fun and energy in our virtual sessions,” he said. “Our-on-ones were seamless and easy.
“The kids have made it easier,” he said.
The staff also instituted “fun Friday, where we got together, played games and did ice-breakers,” he said. “Sometimes we were silly. It wasn’t always about academics. We tried to create a little fun space.
“We also wanted them to see one another,” he said. “One of the big things about not being in school is that you miss seeing your friends.”
One of the byproducts of having the extra month to decide on schools, Barros said, is that families — with the help of the La Vida staff — have been able to petition colleges and universities for more aid, based on ever-changing financial circumstances.
“We’ve been appealing the packages some of the schools have offered,” he said, “and it’s helped. We’ve been able to help get students more money.”
La Vida will have an online decision-day celebration June 3, with another party at a date to be named later. The tough part, he said, is that the students have missed out on so much.
“They’re disappointed,” he said. “They’re not going to get a prom, not going to get their senior graduation or celebrate their college decisions. But they’ve maintained a positive attitude. You just have to hope things get better.”
La Vida graduates
The following students will graduate from the La Vida Scholar program next month:
Abigail Owori, Ackiara Chhim, Angelina Pouk, Ashley Robles, Asmita Mangar, Ayman Laroussi, Bertine Noel, Carolyn Pojoy, Chante Williams, Christopher Mendez, Christopher Ouk, DeAndre Mai, Dianne Hernandez, Dustin Nguyen, Eddinson (Edd) Cespedes, Estefany Barrios Robles, Genesis Beato, Hanifa Maswali and Ivana Alecio.
Also, Jakelin Guzman, Jason Garcia, Jazmine Mazariegos, Jenfry Guerrero Cuevas, Jocelyn Ovalle, Joey Wang, Julia Chen, (Early Decision) , Kristen Matul, Leonardo (Leo) Aquino, Lizeth Vela Cabellero, Louis Arriaza, Lubbi Angel, Manuel (Manny) Guerrero, Michael Lam, Naedjayane Pierrissaint, Nuria Perez, Nuvia Merida, Omar Linares, Orobosa Igbinovia, Rifflene Altidor, Sapreya Buth, Sonetra Pov, Sydnie Della Croce, Tallia Dudley, Victor King and Victor Rodriguez,
The following colleges and universities have accepted La Via scholars: Amherst College, Brown University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston College, Boston University, Brandeis University, College of the Holy Cross, Middlebury College, Mount Holyoke College, Reed College, Smith College, Tufts University, University of Chicago and University of Southern California.