Last year, The Ginn Academy graduated its first class of seniors. This year's senior class of 76 young men will be the first group to have gone all the way through all four years of high school at our school (of course not all of this year's seniors started with us in 9th grade -- a few began in 10th, 11th, or even this year). Eighty-five to ninety percent of our seniors attend college and are often the first members of their families to do so. The students that do not choose this path instead enlist in the military or move directly into the workforce.
It's a daunting process, college admissions, and the boys are skillfully guided by seasoned Admissions Officer and College Advisor, John Hairston. Mr. Hairston met Coach Ginn fifteen years ago when he worked as the Assistant Director of Admissions at Tri-State University in Angola, Indiana. Mr. Hairston was recruiting some of Coach's Glenville players. He now spends his days meeting with college representatives, arranging campus visits, communicating with parents, and supervising and facilitating the entire application process. Not to mention the realm of financial aid and scholarships. It's a huge and immensely important job and one that is nearing boiling point at this particular time of year. We are exceedingly thankful for the grant provided by the Cleveland Foundation that makes Mr. Hairston's position with us possible.
Two GA juniors were working with Mr. Hairston this week in his tiny office down a hallway behind the gym. Darnell and Michael recently went for a tour of the Kent State campus with 9 other boys, all of whom have a GPA of between 3.2 and 3.8. Darnell hopes to earn both a football and an academic scholarship next year with his impressive grades and skills on the field. Michael has been planning to attend Kent State so that he's able to live at home with his close-knit family.
Mr. Hairston's job includes facilitating the application process to college, connecting families to financial aid, and ACT assistance. He encourages multiple attempts at the test because the score is so important. Even the 9th graders are urged to take the last ACT of the year in June to get started on the process. By the time they are juniors, the boys should have numerous attempts under their belts. With a good ACT score and a good GPA to accompany it, the scholarship opportunities are many.
At this point in the year, 90% of the seniors have applied to colleges and and are starting to narrow down their choices. Mr. Hairston is in contact with parents and students, guiding them through the process of grants, scholarships, and student loans. He is also already working with next year's seniors to prepare them for college, as well as the underclassmen to get them acclimated to the ACT process.
Facing the future head on. We're ready!!
Kindest Regards from The Ginn Academy
