Cultivating Success

by Andrea Latoya Jackson-Williams

Description College admission today is, simply, not... simple. You can absolutely go it alone, do the research, apply and cross your fingers, hoping that "they" pick you --- what I call the passive approach. Or, you can take and active approach and take charge of the process, determine which schools are a fit for you, prepare your applications and essays with each individual campus culture in mind, and know which scholarship programs, at each school, would be proud to have you as a recipient --- all before you apply. I know, because I have personally done it, and have privately helped other students and parents not only navigate this process but achieve the aforementioned goals. It all comes down to how you want the experience to go down. Some people are fine with "getting in", while some people would prefer to decide where to go and what fits their personal needs and desires. If you fall into the second category, this book is or you. While, I would welcome the opportunity to start working with you today to plant the seeds to make that happen, I have taken the time to write this book so that all students have access to what I call, a blue print for success. Whereas my own experience is with working with students who fall into the category of "at-risk", these tips can be used and applied to every student because I recognize that each student is unique; that all students are designed for growth; and that all students need to grow to their fullest potential. The purpose of this book is to let EVERY STUDENT AND PARENT know that they or their child has the potential to achieve any goal they set before themselves. In this book we will discuss the risk (those social, political, and environmental factors that often detour or even prevent students from achieving their fullest potential); as well as resilience, the ability for students to navigate through those perceived road blocks in order to achieve success. In addition, you will learn my personal story and triumph from risk to resiliency, including the brief story of my younger brother's academic success and how I was instrumental in helping him to also become resilient in the face of adversity. Then, I will, for the first time, reveal a few of the factors that helped us to achieve academic success despite adversity. Lastly, I will reveal to you the tips we employed to not only seek out scholarships, but the method we used to obtain over $13,000 a semester (yes, a semester) in scholarship money! Utilize the book as a mini blue print to success.