Copy
View this email in your browser

Achieve Atlanta is growing!

We are excited to introduce three new team members, bringing additional capabilities and increasing our ability to carry out our mission and vision. 

Vett Vandiver, our new Director, Marketing and Communications, sets and guides our comprehensive communication strategy and stewards the Achieve Atlanta brand. Born in Atlanta and alumnae of Georgia Tech, Vett is passionate about improving educational equity in the city and has experience in strategic communications, public engagement, digital communications, and photography. Vett previously worked as the Director of Communications for GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students.

Our new Manager, College Success Program, Bria Price, is the liaison between our secondary and postsecondary partners, supporting seamless enrollment and college persistence for Achieve Atlanta Scholars. An Atlanta native, Bria previously worked for City Year Washington, D.C., and the Segal Citizen Leadership Program. Bria received her Masters of Public Policy in Education Policy from the Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Wooster.

As our new Manager, Scholar Support, Jordan Tafari ensures Achieve Atlanta Scholars receive the assistance they need to retain their Achieve Atlanta Scholarships and stay on track during college. A graduate of Morehouse College, Jordan has a strong connection to the Atlanta community, having worked with Atlanta Public Schools, Southern Education Foundation, Next Generation Men & Women, and other organizations dedicated to educational equity.
Read more about our new team members

Farewell to Ari Bogotch!

Ari Bogotch served as Achieve Atlanta’s program manager since 2017, but this month he began a new career adventure in public sector consulting. Although he’s no longer an Achieve Atlanta staff member, Ari remains a part of our family. Thank you, Ari, for your dedication, hard work, professionalism, and commitment to our mission and vision. We wish you much success!
In order for a student to receive financial aid for college, his or her family must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year. Families must do this to be eligible for federal financial aid, as well as for many other student loans, grants and scholarships.
At Achieve Atlanta’s free FAFSA Clinics, we’ll show students and families how to fill out the application, provide one-on-one support and work with them to complete their FAFSA during the clinic. Every clinic is open to families of all Atlanta Public Schools seniors. 

Register for a free FAFSA Clinic (all clinics open to all APS families):
Douglass High School: Saturday, November 16, 10am–12pm
Therrell High School: Monday, December 9, 6pm-8pm

Please share this information with APS families so that we can continue to increase FAFSA completion!
In 2019, 90% of Atlanta Public Schools graduates took the SAT – up from 57% of the class of 2018. Achieve Atlanta CEO Tina Fernandez explained why this milestone is so important and the courage and collaboration that helped make it happen in an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The bestselling author of The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us, Paul Tough, talked with Achieve Atlanta CEO Tina Fernandez about how the findings of his book impact Atlanta high school students and graduates.

Co-hosted by Achieve Atlanta and Drew Charter School’s College and Career Readiness Center, the talk covered how postsecondary institutions can be a vehicle for social mobility, realities and myths about college admission and achievement, educational equity, and other topics. 

“A generation or two ago, getting a college degree was a sign of upward mobility… In today’s society, it’s needed just to hang on.” – Paul Tough
At the Gates Foundation's Networks for School Improvement: Year One Event in Washington, DC, Achieve Atlanta Executive Director Tina Fernandez shared her ideas about using networks to drive social change and gave an update on Achieve Atlanta's progress. 

“We’ve seen good progress in three short years. More students are going to college and staying in college.”
Watch
To achieve their dreams, our Scholars must believe in themselves.
Our #BoldExpectations campaign is designed to inspire them, and inspire our partners and supporters.

You can see some of their thoughts on Twitter and Instagram.

Reflections 

After attending five high schools in three states and eventually earning his GED, our former Ambassador and current intern Jarrod McNish held on to his #BoldExpectations and faith. He writes about how he refused to let his story end.

Read More
Twitter
Website
Instagram
LinkedIn






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
Achieve Atlanta · 191 Peachtree St NE Ste 1000 · Atlanta, GA 30303-1741 · USA