AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) has been an ongoing program at Northwood, striving to help traditionally under-served students to graduate from high school and start their college careers. The first AVID class at Northwood was in 2006, and included 21 students, 19 of whom went on to four-year colleges and universities. According to social studies teacher Skip Thibault, at least 10 of those students graduated this month from a four-year university, while two more will finish in the fall.
“Today, the four-year graduation rate isn’t that great; a lot of kids don’t graduate from college in four years,” said Thibault. “So to think that half of these guys not only got into college, but graduated in four years is pretty good.”
Thibault believes the successes of the program warrant the resources spent.
“We ask ourselves how many of these kids would not have made it into college without AVID, and every year we come up with a bunch. There are some of them every year and we say, ‘Yep, that kid really needed us, and we made a big difference for that kid. And so that makes it worth it.”
Thibault had been part of Northwood’s Drop Out Prevention program for three years, and was asked to be the head coordinator of AVID when it began. He continued in that role until the beginning of this year, when he stepped down and Spanish teacher Henry Foust took over.
Thibault still keeps in touch with his former students and believes that the first-year class of AVID was the most successful year of them all.
“I believe that AVID helped me in college by applying the useful advice, tips, help and opportunities that AVID offers and to not take them for granted,” said Damian Simmons, a graduate from UNC-Greensboro. “AVID helped me to realize the importance of time management and organization, two key components if you want to be successful in life, which are also the exact same ingredients that a person needs to be successful in college.”
When interviewing and talking to the former AVID students, they said that AVID was a successful program in helping them reach their education and life goals. Some of the colleges that these students graduated from include NC State, UNC-Greensboro, Winston-Salem State, UNC-Charlotte, ECU, Appalachian State, UNC-Pembroke and NC A&T State University.
“The AVID program taught me the values of hard work, organization, goal setting and time management,” said Melena Horton, who will graduate from N.C. State in the fall. “I think if I had not been a part of the program, I would have been less prepared for college life and academia.”
AVID is required every year, students must take a year long course, paired with one other class. The AVID elective class teaches students organization, study skills and time management.
“If I did not have AVID there as that extra push I may not have gotten into college the first semester because of my lack of knowledge of what is needed to become a college student,” said Bradley McKinney, who graduated from Winston-Salem State this month.
– By Dana Walker