Angela: A Brief Introduction

Welcome to the WyCAC blog! Since "The WyCACs" didn't sound too appealing, we went with "The Advisors;" much more epic, don't you think? In this very first blog post I would like to explain a little about what we do. There are four members of the WyCAC team, managed by Becky Vinzant. Becky works in Student Affairs at the University of Wyoming and is in charge of handling Wyoming's College Access Challenge Grant, of which the Wyoming College Advising Corps is one of twelve initiatives. This grant is federally funded but managed by the University. Just in case you were wondering, we are not UW recruiters. Instead, three College Advisers are working in Wyoming high schools while the other (that'd be me) is travelling around the state talking to community college students. Our goal is to increase access to higher education in a near-peer atmosphere. What exactly is "near-peer" you might ask? The idea surrounding near-peer is to eliminate the tension that often comes with younger students talking with older professionals. Although we can always learn from those who are veterans in the field, hiring recent college graduates to work with high school and community college students breaks down boundaries that are often present between students and counselors. We are available to help students figure out their desired major or career goals, find colleges that offer those majors and programs, set up a game plan for tackling applications, scholarships, FAFSA and similar tasks related to the college application process, plus be available to talk through all of the anxieties that go along with heading off to a university.The three advisors that are working in high schools are Liz Rader, stationed in Evanston High School, Ray Soto, living it up at Rawlins High School and Faith Helton, working out of Rock Springs High School. I am based in Cheyenne but will be travelling to community colleges to help students with the transfer process. The four of us will be working together on this blog, posting weekly updates concerning college access or any information we find pertinent. Check back often. Once again, welcome to our blog!