![Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jerry Abramson speaks to Ohio County High School Seniors at the "Close The Deal" event last week at OCHS.]()
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![Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jerry Abramson speaks to Ohio County High School Seniors at the "Close The Deal" event last week at OCHS.]()
Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jerry Abramson speaks to Ohio County High School Seniors at the "Close The Deal" event last week at OCHS.[/caption]
Every year, when a group of seniors graduates from Ohio County High School, their lives are no longer restricted to a schedule of class periods, homework assignments and tests. But finding a good paying job with a high school diploma alone can be almost impossible due to the advances in technology constantly changing the face of today’s work environment.
The high school recognized this and has encouraged its students to explore the opportunities and advantages a higher education can offer when they participated in statewide program on Oct. 15 called Close the Deal.
The program was created by Kentucky Lt. Governor Jerry Abramson during his term as Louisville’s mayor, and it’s designed to give the schools, and the surrounding counties, the opportunities to help their students in planning for either college or a future career.
Abramson said he created the program because the students in a lot of the high schools were not aspiring to go to college.
“A lot of neighborhoods, where the kids’ families have never gone to college, nobody was talking about college, and it dawned on me that unless we do something, we’re not going to be able to get these young people to understand that more than a high school degree is necessary,” he said.
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![OCHS seniors sit in groups and talk to college administrators and career professionals at the Close The Deal event at OCHS last week.]()
OCHS seniors sit in groups and talk to college administrators and career professionals at the Close The Deal event at OCHS last week.[/caption]
Up to four high schools, that show a low rate of graduating students transitioning to a post-secondary school, are selected to participate every year. Since its creation, around seven years ago, Abramson has done four sessions of Close the Deal, since being elected in 2011.
He said this has given him many opportunities to visit high schools around the state that were sending 50 percent or less of their graduating classes into post-secondary education. Abramson wanted the students to see how easy it is to get financial aid and to go through the admissions process, and to hear from businessmen and women within the community who continued their education beyond high school.
Throughout its seven-year existence, it has had its share of success. According to Close the Deal’s home page, 94 percent of Bullitt Central High School’s 2013 graduating class applied to a college and earned nearly $4 million in scholarships, and every 2013 graduating senior at Campbell County High School’s applied to a college with 80 percent being accepted. This was a rise from the previous year’s 74 percent.
Finally, Greenup County High School’s graduating class of 2014 submitted 256 college applications and was awarded 111 scholarships. Because the program was so successful in the high school, it began its own program in May 2014 called Open the Deal for its incoming freshmen.
When the students of Ohio County High School congregated in the school’s gymnasium during the day of the program, they were greeted by Abramson himself and by Kentucky Department of Education Director of Innovation David Cook. Both guests spoke of how important it was to strive beyond a high school education and a minimum wage job to find success.
The students then participated in three different table talk sessions with college admission counselors, Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority representatives and community leaders. During these sessions, they learned about applying for college, what the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship is and how to apply for financial aid, what college life is all about and the job opportunities that can be attained with a post-secondary education.
Ohio County Schools superintendent Scott Lewis said the high school was honored to be asked by Abramson to be a part of the program, and it was excited to be a participant.
“It’s something great for our kids. Our college and career readiness is what we’re really working on here at the high school, and our administration has done a great job here getting our college and career readiness scores up,” Lewis said.
What else has been great for the high school is it will accomplish the goal of having every student fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. This means if a student is found to be eligible for federal student aid, it could come in the form of either grants, loans, or work-study funds, which can help lift a financial burden from either the grantee or their parents.
More importantly, Lewis said this can convince every student in the high school they can attend a post-secondary education school, such as a career vocational school or university. This message hits especially true for the large percent of the high school’s rural community students.
“We’ve got to have something for 55 percent or so that don’t go on to college. We want them to understand that there’s things out there for them also,” Lewis said.
But for any of the students to find out what kind of opportunities are out there for them, they first have to apply to at least one post-secondary school, and this is what Ohio County High School principal Greg Decker wanted all the high school students to do.
“Hopefully, once they do this, it’ll get them thinking about going to college, and our kids can be successful. It’s okay for them to leave Ohio County to go to Bowling Green, Lexington, Louisville, Boston, New York, where ever, and get that degree, and if they so choose, they can come back,” he said.
To help make this educational transition smooth for the entire student body, the high school will host a College Application Day on Oct. 27. This will give its seniors the opportunity to fill out a college application form and get help from many of the on site college representatives. Then, on Jan. 12-15, all the students will have the opportunity to sit down with a financial aid representative and fill out a FASFA form during the high school’s FASFA week.
Induction ceremony of 5th and 6th graders.[/caption]
SUBMITTED
Wayland Elementary hosted its Charter National Junior Beta Club induction ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014.
The mission of the National Junior Beta Club is to promote the ideas of academic achievement, character, service, and leadership among elementary and secondary school students. Furthermore, the club wishes to reward meritorious achievement and to encourage and assist students in continuing their education after high school.
National Junior Beta Club, a student-centered organization, continually develops and nurtures individuals by providing opportunities and experiences enabling them to demonstrate the ideas of character, achievement, service, and leadership in the community.
To become a member of the National Junior Beta Club, 5th and 6th grade students must meet high academic standards, exemplify good conduct and behavior, and maintain strong attendance.
Members of Wayland’s National Junior Beta Club include:
6th grade — Phillip “Tanner” Bowlds, Jasper Barker, Mya Coleman, Brittney Cook, Rose Craig, Sophia Etherton, Alyssa Hamilton, Jacob Hoheimer, Ashlynn Hoover, Kaleb Humphrey, Margole Jones, Kelsey Kennedy, Amelia Lindsey, Emma Shocklee, Anna Stamper, Alicen Tichenor, Gavin Wathen and Courtney Winkle.
5th Grade — Gracie Chinn, Braidey Coffman, Bryson Cook, Colton Davis, Taylor Dayman, Rain Embry, Ashton Farris, Amber Funk, Gaitlin Gaynor, Clayton Goff, Jacob Gregory, Tyler Johnson, Kylee Lammers, Meegan Lane, Kamryn Leisure, Landon Littleton, Ashlee McDaniel, Kayla Mohon, Titus Strauss, Phoenix Wallace, Lydia Ward and Delainey Wilson.
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