Find Your Fit @ Indiegogo

Find Your Fit is an event we hold for our 10th grade students who are beginning to think seriously about college—what kind of place they’d like to go, what they’d like to study, and what is non-negotiable in their selection process.

This year, the folks at Indiegogo were kind enough to lend us their space, volunteer with students, and even bought us pizza!

After an introduction by our Community Engagement Manager, Ashley, the activity began. Each student was paired up with a volunteer and together, each pair weighed college selection criteria like location, private or public, academic programs, large or small, weather, athletics, financial aid packages and so on. As the newest member on staff at First Graduate, I couldn’t wait to actually get to know one of our students. The student I worked with, Marlon, hadn’t thought too much about the kinds of colleges he is interested in—but knows he wants to get as far from home as possible and pursue a culinary career.

One thing that struck me about Marlon was his inquisitiveness. He wanted to know all about which colleges had the best opportunities to play soccer and get him the best education for his future. He wanted to know about the college I attended, what I liked about it, and what I would recommend based on my experiences as a student. (The short answer is GO VCU RAMS!)

In the hour that we worked together, we talked a little about the culinary career path, and I suggested combining his studies with business so he’d be able to open his own restaurant one day. We were able to find 5 colleges that had a business degree in restaurant management that Marlon was genuinely interested in—and that also had a soccer team. We even discussed the merits of San Jose State, which came was one of the five schools that matched our search exactly, but is awfully close to home. My student kept an open mind, reasoning that it’s far enough away from home to get a taste of independence, but close enough to make it easy to visit every so often.

The other students and volunteers looked like they were having just as much fun as we were talking about colleges. It was amazing to see so many students so motivated and so focused. Sure, they were going nuts over Indiegogo’s ping pong table, but when it was time to get to work—after a full day of school, no less—they shifted into super student mode and got as much out of their time with volunteers as possible. I can also say as a volunteer at this event, I got a lot out of it besides a free meal. Knowing that the students we help at First Graduate are such focused, hard workers makes the work I do that much easier.