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2008-2009 School Year Success Stories

High School: East Boston High School
Adviser: Lillian O'Donnell
Student: Kevin

Kevin came in with a big grin when he was accepted to the competitive state college of his choice. I got in, he said, clutching the paper in his hand.

Kevin had been one of the harder students to get through to. He would come in diligently for a few months then go off the radar. When I invited him on a field trip to visit what would be his future college, he had just recently told me he was thinking of joining the Air Force.

I didn't know what to think--whether he was coming along to miss school, if college was still an option he had for himself, or what was really going on. On the day of the trip, I was really pleasantly surprised to see him there ready to go. He loved the school. Several times during the tour he came up to me and said he was going to enroll if he was accepted. Otherwise, he was going to go join the Air Force or go back to his family's country to work towards his goal of being a veterinarian.

It became clear when we finally sat down to do his FAFSA what was really going on. He felt that he would not be able to afford college, so he was avoiding it. Whenever he got back on track, he'd disengage. Finally, I had him sit down and churn it all out in one sitting. We sent in the application and all his financial paperwork.

Yesterday, Kevin came into my office. He still hadn't received a financial aid package. With few nerves, he called them up. The big, sweet grin came up again. He gave me the thumbs up three times during the call. His eyes got big when he said, $18,000? I'm getting $18,000? He graciously and effusively thanked the financial aid counselor as he hung up the phone. The money was more than enough to live on campus and to be able to afford his education. Then it was me who was smiling, thanking him when he was thanking me for my help. I thought about the financial aid counselor who must have felt the joy over the phone and then thought about my own luck, knowing Kevin and witnessing moments of bliss like this countless times since I've been an adviser.

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