Tucked away in downtown White Plains, a nook of inspiration and encouragement has been thriving for 40 years.
College Careers was founded in 1967 by Dorothy Allensworth with a mission to take “educationally and economically underprivileged young people out of poverty by providing some form of secondary education,” said Blanche Walker, executive director of College Careers. Through its various outreach programs, the organization has instilled community awareness and the importance of education in students.
“About 75 to 80 percent (of our students) graduate, which is above the national average,” said Walker, who went through the program herself. “I met the director and she said, ”˜You can go to college.”™ And I said, ”˜Yeah, yeah, yeah,”™ because I didn”™t believe her. But finally I did believe her and I said, ”˜Well, let me take a chance to see how this works out.”™”
Walker”™s experience with College Careers more than, “worked out.” She attended Virginia Union University in Richmond, where she received her bachelor”™s degree in sociology and her master”™s degree in education. After she graduated, Walker went back to College Careers to tell them her story and soon after was hired.
“I know what the program can do, and it”™s still good,” said Walker.
College Careers works with a total of 1,500 students per year; 300 of those students are part of the college program. According to counselor Paul Rivers, College Careers helps students get into college as well as get the funding they need to pay for their education.
“I work with the students all year long: when they”™re in school, when they”™re out of school,” said Rivers. “If they”™re having any problems while they”™re at college we try to resolve any issues financially, academically, with the institution, along with their advisors and financial aid at the school. If the student wants to transfer to another school, we help them transfer from their current school to their new school. Our goal is to keep the students in school until they graduate.”
One student of Rivers”™ is Greg Anderson, who will be attending Westchester Community College in the spring. While the majority of students the organization works with are young, Anderson represents the adult population at College Careers.
“I”™m a little bit older than the younger students,” said Anderson. “I decided to go to a community college to start off with and Paul has been a big help with the paper work and the finances.”
On Dec. 27, the organization celebrated its 40 Anniversary at the White Plains Library with a “college speak out” program. The event is held at the end of every year and features students who have completed their first fall semester as well as seniors who talk about their overall college experiences. The event illustrates what College Careers does and ultimately why it is needed.
“There are a lot of reasons to get an education, and it helps the community,” said Walker. “Because the more well rounded individuals you have in your community, the better your community is going to be.”
College Careers is located at 190 East Post Road. The phone number is 428-3435.
