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hvparent.com n Hudson Valley Parent 19 A degree can widen job opportunities Antoine Barrington of the City of Poughkeepsie has been talking with his 16-year-old son, Qualique Bar- rington, an 11th grader at Pough- keepsie High School, and daughter, Nevaeh Barrington, 14, a 9th grader at the school, about college for the past few years. His son isn't sure whether he wants to go to college but his daughter plans on it. "I do want something on their resumes out of college; some type of degree," said Barrington, to broaden work opportunities once they've completed school. The thinking follows his family's empha- sis on education. His mother holds a master's in psychology and several family members are teachers at Poughkeepsie High School. As well, an aunt is a former superintendent for the district. Yet Barrington isn't going to push college on his son if he's not interested in pursuing it. "I've drilled into (my daughter) to take early courses," said Bar- rington, such as math, English and other general education classes typically required by colleges. As is stands, she's a straight-A student who's been recognized for her aca- demic excellence and has attended the Summer Pre-College Program at Marist College. She also dances and has participated in performances at the Changepoint Theater in the City of Poughkeepsie, among other activities. If needed, Barrington will help his daughter choose a college major and school. Once she's accepted into a college, he'll be on hand to help her plan her coursework. "She surprises me every day," Barrington said. Life skills are part of the college experience Carmela Alicea of Poughkeepsie helped her older son, Marcello, 20, prepare for college. Now she's doing the same for her twin 16-year-olds, Annalisa and Massimo Alicea, both 11th graders currently at Arlington High School. "They're going to be on their own," said Alicea. "They need to learn how to take care of them- selves and not just changing the bar of soap." Things like knowing how to eat well, wash their clothes and man- age money are important, she said. She's also spoken with them about alcohol, drugs and sex, and how one action can lead to another. "It's like teaching them to be smart," she said. "It's okay to drink. It's okay to go to a party but be in control of your body." They're also preparing for the SAT and American College Test (ACT) college assessment tests and have scheduled college planning meetings with the kids' high school counselors. And, they've talked about different school environ- ments, like the size of the school, whether it's in city or quiet area and the local weather. "It's going to be their home," said Alicea. "You want to be sure they're happy with everything. Just because it's a good school and they're going to get a good degree, doesn't mean that's going to keep them there." According to the National Cen- ter for Education Statistics, regis- tration in postsecondary schools is up. In fact, between 2000 and 2017, total undergraduate en- rollment in degree-programs at postsecondary institutions went from 13.2 million to 16.8 million students. And, by 2028, total un- dergraduate enrollment is expect- ed to increase upwards to 17.2 million students. To support kids' postsecondary education, the guidance depart- ment at Kingston High School in Kingston outlines college prepa- ration steps for 9th through 12th graders, including college assess- ment tests and related scholar- ships. It also provides links to college fairs, financial aid, gov- ernment programs, scholarship programs and other resources, www.kingstoncityschools.org/do- main/187. School guidance counselor, Michelle Drewnowski works with college-bound students at Kings- ton High School by first intro- ducing them to Naviance, www. naviance.com, an online program that coordinates documents for college, such as transcripts, resumes, letters of recommen- dation and such. It also provides suggestions on colleges based on a student's interests and links to the Common App, which allows students to fill out one application for use at different colleges. Additionally, Drewnowski rec- ommends that students attend the high school's college night events, where representatives of more than 100 colleges provide stu- dents with information about their offerings, costs and application processes. She also encourages college-bound students to pre- pare for and take PSAT, SAT and ACT tests, as well as visit colleges of interest, investigate available scholarships and complete finan- cial aid packages, as needed. "We talk about getting to school, what to expect from teach- ers, classes and being away from home," Drewnowski said. Visit the New York State De- partment of Education for in- formation on college and career planning: https://www.schools. nyc.gov/school-life/learning/col- lege-and-career-planning Good news! (Continued on Page 20)