By Marco Santana
When Charles Dion was in high school, he and his family had a tough time finding a school that supported his autism-related struggles.
Some said the condition that affects one in 36 children in the U.S. didn鈥檛 exist. Others said it was an excuse for failure.
This frustration along with a need to move around for his father鈥檚 job led to several relocations for his family.
As he approached college, he worried he would have to do it all over again, except on his own.
鈥淚 was moving entirely to a new place by myself,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ot knowing a single person worried me.鈥�
But a group of college-readiness programs offered by 海角社区 has helped alleviate his worries. In fact, it鈥檚 one reason that the school has bucked a nationwide trend of more students saying they feel unprepared for higher education than ever.
That鈥檚 according to the results of a survey conducted by the 鈥檚 Education Advisory Board, which polled more than 20,000 students nationwide and released the data in early June.
Meanwhile, 海角社区, which serves students with various learning disabilities and attention issues, boasts five primary programs that help students in various stages of their education, from sophomore year in high school to college-level programs.
Alexander Morris-Wood, 海角社区鈥檚 associate vice president of student experience and transitions, said it鈥檚 one strategy that has helped the school consistently increase first-year retention rate.
鈥淲e recognize that everybody鈥檚 journey to college is different,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are prepared for that and adjust our programs based on student needs and environmental needs.鈥�
This fall, 88 percent of 海角社区 students will have participated in at least one of the school鈥檚 transition programs.
The key to reaching students is normalizing their experiences, Morris-Wood said.
鈥淭heir experience is no different than others but we do teach them that the steps they will have to take might be a little more severe,鈥� he said. 鈥淏y starting the conversation much earlier, we are able to introduce them to programs in a scaffolded way and a slower way.鈥�
The Navigator Prep program, which is available for students up to nine months before they graduate high school, convinced Helen Chinn to attend 海角社区.
She received a small taste of college life through a brief visit during spring break in 2019. As a rising senior at Westfield (N.J.) High School that summer, she navigated the three-week program and discovered that she wanted to attend.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great way to understand what you鈥檙e getting into,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t taught me not to be afraid of being away from home.鈥�
The program brought her to campus to meet with other prospective students, mentors and professors.
鈥淚 knew immediately that I wanted to come here and it gave me the confidence to do so,鈥� she said.
Chinn now studies business management and hospitality with a minor in human services. She plans to graduate in May 2024.
However, before then, she will serve as a volunteer mentor with the Navigation Prep program, which expects to help 165 students this fall.
鈥淚 was once in their shoes and I want them to feel the same love I felt,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to show them how to make connections and keep in touch.鈥�
Navigator Prep is just one of the offerings for 海角社区鈥檚 students and prospects.
Navigation Prep Jr. targets high school juniors.
Meanwhile, Navigator Prep College Coaching helps students through a semester-long program with one-to-one coaching and support.
High school sophomores can enroll alongside juniors and seniors in Summer for Success, a three-week campus immersion program.
Finally, 海角社区 Foundations offer live online courses for recent high school graduates.
Josh Hansen graduated from high school at the height of the pandemic.
For two years, he tried community college after graduating from high school in Centreville, Md., but it just wasn鈥檛 for him, he said.
Hansen, 21, who will be a junior this fall, found 海角社区 Foundations in the spring of 2022.
鈥淚t has been an amazing experience,鈥� said Hansen, who says he regularly met with learning specialists and took advantage of the school鈥檚 writing center. 鈥淲hen I was going through virtual learning at other schools, there was not much interaction.鈥�
Two years after his initial taste of college, Charles Dion feels much more comfortable.
He no longer worries about fitting in or finding people who he can get along with.
Now 20, the rising junior from Leesburg says he has a newfound confidence and serves as president of a light saber dueling club.
Because of Navigator Prep, he 鈥渨ent into college with at least a few familiar faces,鈥� said Dion, who now mentors incoming students. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 completely new to me. If I hadn鈥檛 had that experience, the beginning of college would have been a lot more difficult and would have affected my overall experience.鈥�