​The school’s motto is “Enter to learn- go forth to serve,” and with this new program, students will now be able to live up to those words in the fullest way possible.

​The new program, AVID, is taught by Lauren Smith and currently has 52 freshmen enrolled. It stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and its goal is to prepare students, beginning from freshman year, for college.
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“The students have to have determination and the want to do well in their classes,” Smith said. “It’s typically for kids who have never been pushed this way before but are capable of success.”
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The class helps the students build confidence, learn team building and how to advocate for themselves, according to Smith.
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“In the first week of school, they actually have to shake all of their teacher’s hands, introduce themselves as an AVID student and ask to sit at the front of the room,” Smith said.
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Freshmen enrolled in the program are required to be in at least one Pre-AP class and must maintain a certain GPA in order to keep up with their contract.
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AVID teaches them note-taking systems like Cornell notes in order to be successful in classes, how to organize with binder systems and they also have college tutors come in twice a week to form study groups similar to a college course.

“By the time they leave high school, hopefully they will have all of these tools in order to be successful at a four year university,” Smith said. “That’s the goal.”
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The class also takes the students on one to three college field trips per year to familiarize them with the requirements for different colleges and have guest speakers for different professions come talk to them about what it takes to be in that career field.
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“We try to create an environment of risk-taking, where everybody feels comfortable, supported and encouraged, and they also hold each other accountable,” Smith said. “That’s what ends up happening when they build that bond.”
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By the time they’re juniors, there will be systems set in place to help them fill out college, scholarship and financial aid applications, as well as portfolios built up throughout high school to help.
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“AVID is more of a support system than anything else, and the point is to help these kids do better and give them the tools to help them be successful throughout high school and beyond,” Smith said.
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AVID student Andrew Stapp believes the program has motivated and helped him keep up his grades.
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“I want to think about my future and college, and I think this class will help me do so, starting from freshman year,” Stapp said. “ I think it’s a good program to help students for years to come.”
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