By Dan Verner
A talking Mattel Barbie doll who lamented in 1992, “Math class is tough!” ignited a firestorm of protest from a women’s rights group, but Barbie didn’t know the half of it. Getting into college—and staying in—is even harder, especially for students who face obstacles outside of school. Thanks to a consortium of 10 educational institutions in Northern Virginia, that is changing for thousands of students.
A group of K-12 public school systems, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and George Mason University created Pathway to the Baccalaureate to put success within reach of all students, not just girls, who otherwise might not go to college.
Kerin A. Hilker-Balkissoon, executive director of college and career pathways at NOVA, became Pathway’s founding director shortly before its launch in 2005.
“Pathway allows local students to attend community college who otherwise would be unable to,” Hilker-Balkissoon said. “Many who do enroll find balancing college, work and personal responsibilities difficult, and they struggle to succeed. Without the support of Pathway, these students are at high risk of dropping out of college early.”
Pathway students are paired with Pathway counselors during their senior year in high school. The counselors help students plan financially, choose a major, take placement tests and register for classes. Once in NOVA students continue to work closely with Pathway advisors, who are part of a strong, supportive community. Pathway students may then transfer to George Mason University to earn their baccalaureate degrees.
The Pathway program is large, serving more than 10,000 students in 60 locations. Finding enough money to maintain and grow the program is difficult, Hilker-Balkissoon noted.
“We would love to expand our program to support more schools and students across Prince William County, but right now we are limited to supporting high school seniors across seven high schools.”
Working with Pathway students in these schools is very rewarding. “Getting to know our students, helping them to recognize the potential in themselves and watching them blossom, both academically and as leaders, is magical,” Hilker-Balkissoon said. “Seeing our students cross the stage on graduation day, wearing their program medallions and knowing how far they have come to reach that moment, is the greatest joy of all.”
“The work we do has a profound impact that extends beyond our students themselves to include their families, peers and communities,” she said.
The program is popular with students, who appreciate the help. “My experience in the Pathway program has given me the needed support to reach my goals,” said student Phanny Bou. “I’ve had great Pathway counselors, who cared about my education and were delighted to help me instead of treating me like another case.”
“I was the first in my family to go to college,” said Sandra Pineda, another Pathway student. “The Pathway program not only helped me finish my first two years at NOVA; it also gave me the opportunity to develop my leadership skills.”
NOVA took the lessons it learned from Pathway to the Baccalaureate to create a system of “Pathway Initiatives” that together support more than 14,000 individuals in the region. One of those sister initiatives, Adult Career Pathways (ACP), serves adult students with demonstrated barriers to college access and success. That includes veterans, single parents, lower-wage workers and the unemployed and underemployed. ACP helps adult students to earn certificates, degrees or other credentials to help them secure better jobs with a chance of advancement and greater economic security.
The future is bright for Pathway, director Hilker-Balkissoon said. “We continue to refine our services to meet the changing needs of our students, their families and the Northern Virginia region. “We also regularly mentor other institutions across the country that are interested in starting similar programs in their regions,” she continued.
Barbie became briefly infamous for saying math class was tough, but the even tougher job of getting into and staying in college is becoming easier for the students who need help the most, thanks to Pathway to the Baccalaureate.
Dan Verner (dverner@princewilliamliving.com) is the author of several books and was named “Best Writer in Prince William County (Virginia) for 2014 and 2015 by readers of Prince William Today newspaper. Find out more about him at danverner.com.
