Funding & Development
College Announces New Community Initiative to Serve First-Generation and Latino Students
Project Aims to Increase Equitable Access to Higher Education and Economic Mobility after Completion
RALEIGH, N.C. (August 16, 2022) - Wake Tech and Congresswoman Deborah Ross are pleased to announce the Wake Tech Reach Project, an initiative aimed at increasing the enrollment and success of first-generation and Latino college students.
Supported by $600,000 in federal Community Project funding in the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2022, the two-year project strives to increase academic supports, mentoring and college pipeline experiences to prepare and transition first-generation students to college.
The Wake Tech Reach Project will specifically collaborate with the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Juntos Program to provide targeted outreach to middle school, high school and first-generation college students and their families to promote college attendance after high school graduation. The initiative has a special focus on Latino students, the largest population of first-gen students.
The project will utilize the support of a Wake Tech project coordinator and a Career and College Access coach at targeted middle and high schools in Wake County to offer workshops for Reach Project participants and their families to help students better transition to college. Through college preparation programming, students will learn about programs and support services at Wake Tech and will receive career exploration and success coaching. The project will also work to increase a sense of campus belonging by connecting Reach Project participants with peer mentors at events such as family days and summer academies.
"I was thrilled to help Wake Tech secure federal funding for the Reach Project earlier this year," said Ross. "This exciting program will help put first-generation students on even footing with their peers as they navigate high school graduation and the transition to college. Wake Tech students and graduates form an integral part of our Wake County community and workforce, and this project, in collaboration with the N.C. State Juntos Project, will help more of our Wake County students achieve their educational goals and give back to our community. I'm grateful to the leaders and educators at Wake Tech for their commitment to reducing educational barriers and improving equity in our K-12 and higher education systems. I'm excited to see the impact of the Reach Project on our community."
"Many first-generation college students face unique challenges and barriers to transitioning to college, especially if they're the first in their family to navigate college processes like applying for financial aid," said Kacy McAdoo, Wake Tech’s associate dean of outreach. "Thanks to the support of Congresswomen Ross, we are excited about this outreach program, which will equip Wake Tech to better serve first-generation students and their families in Wake County by increasing equitable access and educational success after high school."
