There are certain days in a young person’s life that have the potential to change everything.
This past month, Avenue Scholars witnessed three of them.
On April 7, 8, and 14, Avenue Scholars hosted a series of New Scholar Celebrations, officially welcoming its newest cohort of 325 high schoolers into the program.
The events, held at the Truhlsen Campus Events Center on the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus, provided new Scholars their first in-depth look at the support they’ll receive over the next few years – with an audience of family, friends, and school administrators to cheer them on.
“At 15 or 16, it can feel like everyone is asking you, ‘What do you want to do with your life?’ And if you’re being honest, most of you are probably thinking ‘I don’t know.’ And that’s completely normal,” Avenue Scholars CEO Lindsay Decker told the Scholars. “You’re not supposed to have it all figured out right now. What matters is that you’re willing to explore.”
The new Scholars, currently high school sophomores, will officially begin the program in the fall of their junior year. In the upcoming academic year, Avenue Scholars will operate out of 14 area high schools across seven Omaha-area school districts.
At the April welcome celebrations, the new Scholars had an opportunity to learn about Avenue Scholars’ unique Career Coaching model, which begins in high school and extends through graduation until career entry.
They also heard about Avenue Scholars’ specific career development programs, including the upcoming summer Boot Camps, in which a group of Scholars will have the chance to participate in four-week-long day camps, exploring careers in the skilled trades, healthcare, and transportation.
In his welcome remarks, Terrence Gillian, director of high school programs, asked the assembled Scholars to raise their hands if they knew what they wanted to do after high school.
“Whether your hand is up or not, that’s exactly why you’re here,” he said. “We meet you where you are. Because at Avenue Scholars, we don’t want you guessing about your future – we want you prepared for it.”
