GCC Seeks Donations to Grow Successful ACE Plus Program
June 17, 2008
Achieving a College Education (ACE) is beyond the dreams or budgets of many West Valley students. Some never consider higher education. Many won't even finish high school and may face a lifetime of low-paying jobs. But finishing high school and attending college is exactly what the ACE Plus program at Glendale Community College is designed to help students accomplish.
ACE Plus is a scholarship-based, early-outreach program designed to increase the number of at-risk, financially disadvantaged or first-generation college-bound students who graduate from high school and make a smooth and successful transition into college. ACE stands for Achieving a College Education and the "Plus" stands for the many services and programs provided to students and their parents. The Director of ACE Plus, under whose leadership the program has expanded greatly, is Dr. Ibrahim Naim.
GCC is currently involved in a major fund-raising campaign to increase the ACE Plus program's ability to serve even more students. The goal is to raise $50,000 by the end of this year. As of this month, 52% of that goal has been met; $24,000 still needs to be raised. The return on an investment of an additional $50,000 will be huge. ACE Plus has an 18-year record of encouraging students to graduate from high school while concurrently completing college courses. Approximately 94% of students affiliated with the program do graduate from high school. Of those, 83% go on to attend post-secondary institutions. The students' overall grade point average for high school and college course work completed during their time in the program is 3.12 (B)
Anthony Reyes, 32, of Glendale, is a shining example of how the ACE Plus program can transform lives. He started in the program in the summer of 1992. "As a child from a single-parent family, I never thought that college would be an option for me," said Reyes. "I used to think that college was too expensive and that my high school grades were not good enough. The ACE Plus program helped me understand that I could be successful in college. It showed me all the resources available in college, taught me about scholarships and financial aid, and provided field trips to state universities that I had never seen before. Not only did the program help me academically, but I made friends with other students and college staff with whom I am still in touch today." Reyes went on to graduate from ASU with a degree in communication studies. He is currently employed at GCC as an Academic Adviser. He says, "I enjoy my job because every day I get to relive my college experience with students. I can particularly relate to new students since I, too, was once afraid that I would not survive in college. ACE Plus gave me the strength, courage and guidance I needed to pursue and achieve my goals."
During the month of November each year, ACE Plus representatives recruit sophomores at Alhambra, Apollo, Barry Goldwater, Deer Valley, Dysart, Glendale, Independence, Maryvale, Moon Valley, Peoria and Trevor Browne high schools. They explain the program and supply application packets to interested students. Selection is competitive, but students from all levels of the academic grading scale are accepted, based on their potential to achieve success and not on their previous academic record. Approximately 300 selected students are notified the following April and begin college classes at GCC for five weeks in June. They continue taking classes on Saturdays during the fall and spring semesters of their final two years of high school. Classes taken vary from student to student, and are based on testing results and skill levels.
Students who complete the entire program can earn as many as 24 college credits. They also learn about college life, available resources, study techniques, time management, how to use computer information systems and how to navigate a campus. They complete the program when they graduate from high school. At that time, ACE Plus program advisors help them decide where to continue their college studies.
Students selected for ACE Plus will receive scholarships for their GCC tuition and fees. They and their families are responsible for the necessary textbooks and transportation to and from the college.
Visit www.gccaz.edu/aceplus or call 623.845.3335 or 623.845.4933 for more information. The ACE Plus program helps students, their families and the West Valley—by helping increase the number of well-educated, highly employable, tax-paying citizens in our community.
If you would like to contribute to ACE Plus, contact Judy Sanchez, Assistant Director of Development, at judy.sanchez@gcmail.maricopa.edu or at 623.845.3481.
Visit https://www.maricopa.edu/resdev/foundation/egive/index.php if you choose to donate online. Please make sure you select GCC and the ACE Plus program.
Glendale Community College is located at 6000 W. Olive Ave. in Glendale.
Anthony Reyes assists a GCC student with academic advice.
