Ms. Cuffee-Gray of her own admission, has been surrounded by education her whole life. In fact, she spends most of her time in her office working with students on the next big step after high school⎼ going to college. Even though her main goal is college acceptance and enrollment, she is further driven to keep students in college and opens her door to all those in need of support; after all, a good counselor never closes their door to a person in need.
Ms. Cuffee-Gray's Interview
A- Why is the Alumni Project and alumni success important to you?
C- Well, I think um… one really big reason for us is… we have this mission, which is “We are a college-bound school.” Which is awesome and we’ve had great success with that. It’s been seven years, and I think it feels pretty comfortable that we can prepare students academically across a range and⎼and get them into school. What is happening all across the nation is⎼is the issue around matriculation, which is graduating from college. That’s the real issue, so I think um… supporting alumns is hugely important because there are all kinds of slings and arrows that alumns encounter, not the least of which⎼what is the biggest issue is financial. Um… which changes every year. Um… and so being able to support students; both with their financial aid and planning, we don’t want students to end up having been in school for almost a semester or three years for that matter and then find themselves unable to continue. We don’t really have tons of resources to help make that happen, but we’re trying to sort of be smart about ways to support them. So that’s why it’s important.
A- What kinds of support can you offer to new graduates and alumni?
C- Um… I think most, right now, the support that we are able to offer is contact in the sense that we’re a place they can come to and conversely they are more, and more alums that come back either as employees or as mentors, or as people who are running intensives weeks. Our alums are in the flesh, in our buildings! It used to be that this mystery in 2010 was “You’re going to graduate, you’re going to go to college!” and the people were like “Okay? That’s a great idea, but is that really hold true?” And now seven years of graduates, who are in the flesh, successfully graduating AND also having some pitfalls to help us learn how we advise them. So mostly it’s kind of an emotional support and pointing them in the direction in places like UAspire, which is the financial piece, which is hugely important.
A- What advice do you have for people entering college?
C- Ask for help! Uhh… use your resources! Connect with your advisor, connect with people, get involved in the school life. I think uhh… those are the kinds of things that inoculate students against feeling disconnected and⎼and not a part of the school community. The other piece is⎼is as you do it you have the tools. You’re gonna have pitfalls! You’re gonna fail a course, you’re going to fail a quiz , it’s not the end of the world. It doesn’t in anyway indicate that you’re not ready for college. So, pick yourself up and ask for help.
A- What would you have done differently when you were in college?
C- Mmmm… I think I would’ve gotten more involved. I went to a… a remote college, St. Lawrence University, to me, I had the benefit of having gone to prep school so I sort of knew what that school population was like. I wasn’t surprised to be in group that was a couple of students of color. I think that not living in a dorm that was a freshman dorm, so I lived with a lot of older students. It was fun on the one hand; the negative was I didn’t know people in my class. I would’ve asked to live in the freshmen dorm. Uhh… If there was one thing I could do differently.
A- Is there anything else you would like alumni to know?
C- Um… We’re here! Contact us! Tell us what we can do to help you!
A- Okay, thank you!
Ms. Cuffee-Gray's Interview
A- Why is the Alumni Project and alumni success important to you?
C- Well, I think um… one really big reason for us is… we have this mission, which is “We are a college-bound school.” Which is awesome and we’ve had great success with that. It’s been seven years, and I think it feels pretty comfortable that we can prepare students academically across a range and⎼and get them into school. What is happening all across the nation is⎼is the issue around matriculation, which is graduating from college. That’s the real issue, so I think um… supporting alumns is hugely important because there are all kinds of slings and arrows that alumns encounter, not the least of which⎼what is the biggest issue is financial. Um… which changes every year. Um… and so being able to support students; both with their financial aid and planning, we don’t want students to end up having been in school for almost a semester or three years for that matter and then find themselves unable to continue. We don’t really have tons of resources to help make that happen, but we’re trying to sort of be smart about ways to support them. So that’s why it’s important.
A- What kinds of support can you offer to new graduates and alumni?
C- Um… I think most, right now, the support that we are able to offer is contact in the sense that we’re a place they can come to and conversely they are more, and more alums that come back either as employees or as mentors, or as people who are running intensives weeks. Our alums are in the flesh, in our buildings! It used to be that this mystery in 2010 was “You’re going to graduate, you’re going to go to college!” and the people were like “Okay? That’s a great idea, but is that really hold true?” And now seven years of graduates, who are in the flesh, successfully graduating AND also having some pitfalls to help us learn how we advise them. So mostly it’s kind of an emotional support and pointing them in the direction in places like UAspire, which is the financial piece, which is hugely important.
A- What advice do you have for people entering college?
C- Ask for help! Uhh… use your resources! Connect with your advisor, connect with people, get involved in the school life. I think uhh… those are the kinds of things that inoculate students against feeling disconnected and⎼and not a part of the school community. The other piece is⎼is as you do it you have the tools. You’re gonna have pitfalls! You’re gonna fail a course, you’re going to fail a quiz , it’s not the end of the world. It doesn’t in anyway indicate that you’re not ready for college. So, pick yourself up and ask for help.
A- What would you have done differently when you were in college?
C- Mmmm… I think I would’ve gotten more involved. I went to a… a remote college, St. Lawrence University, to me, I had the benefit of having gone to prep school so I sort of knew what that school population was like. I wasn’t surprised to be in group that was a couple of students of color. I think that not living in a dorm that was a freshman dorm, so I lived with a lot of older students. It was fun on the one hand; the negative was I didn’t know people in my class. I would’ve asked to live in the freshmen dorm. Uhh… If there was one thing I could do differently.
A- Is there anything else you would like alumni to know?
C- Um… We’re here! Contact us! Tell us what we can do to help you!
A- Okay, thank you!