For 20 years, College Visions has been a vital resource for historically underserved students in Rhode Island. This grassroots organization assists low-income and first-generation high school students in applying to college, succeeding when they’re there, and finding fulfillment as they enter the workforce. It’s one of the important groups that Matouk is immensely proud to support as part of our charitable work, supplying dorm essentials to students as they start their college careers.
To learn more about the ways College Visions has transformed over the years, we spoke with the group’s executive director, Lamont Gordon. From helping students identify the right university to assisting with applications and supporting students with mentoring while in school, College Visions is truly transforming young people’s lives. In fact, 98% of College Visions scholars achieve their goal and successfully enroll in college. Read on to learn more about this inspiring group of people, and click here to learn how to donate to their life-changing mission.
And to discover even more about College Visions' work, watch a recent interview with Lamont Gordon on Rhode Island PBS.
Tell us a bit about the founding of College Visions. How did it come to be, and how has it evolved over the years?
This year, College Visions is celebrating our 20th anniversary. CV was founded in 2004 in Providence to provide community-based college access services to students who have the desire and potential to go to college but lack the support they need to get there. CV has grown from serving a small number of students in Providence in its early days to serving over 500 youth from six cities across Rhode Island annually. Our programming has expanded as well—in addition to helping students get into college, our current model provides students with ongoing support while they are in college to ensure that they graduate. As a result, CV students have a college graduation rate of 70%, two to three times the rate of their peers.
You joined College Visions two years ago as executive director. What first drew you to the organization, and what are some of the most salient things you’ve learned from your work there?
I was drawn to CV because of its compelling mission and impressive outcomes. I’ve worked in several national college access organizations that have a similar mission. CV is unique in that we focus on serving first-generation students with a range of academic profiles, whereas many college access organizations only target “high-achieving” students. Our philosophy is that any student who wants to go to college should be supported. We meet students where they are and help them find a college fit that is right for them.
At Matouk, we’re honored to provide products for dorm rooms for College Visions students. What are some of the other areas where students benefit from your assistance, or could use additional help?
We’re deeply grateful for the support we receive from Matouk. The dorm essentials gifts have been a big hit with our students and their families. It’s a huge relief for them to not have to scrape money together for these essentials. And having quality, comfortable bedding and bath helps to make the transition to dorm life that much easier. Another way that we support our students is providing small emergency grants to cover unexpected expenses.
An important part of the College Visions mission is empowering students, helping them believe in themselves and their ability to make it in college. How does that manifest in your work, and what are some common areas where kids need encouragement?
It starts with our strengths based approach to our work—despite whatever challenging circumstances our students may come from, we know that they are smart, hardworking and talented, and we focus on their strengths. That approach helps students see their potential and believe in themselves. Moreover, we have a near-peer advising model in that our college advisors tend to be first-generation, recent college graduates who have a shared experience with our students. It’s powerful when they can see themselves in their advisors and see them as a model for how to make it.
Applying to college is a complicated process, and it seems like it’s only gotten more difficult over the years. How does College Visions help with this? What are some of the biggest questions you answer and areas where you assist?
CV employs a comprehensive model that supports students at every stage of the college application process—exploring college options, finding the best fit, building a college list, completing applications and applying for financial aid. Our model is relational—we don't focus just on the mechanics of the application process; we build relationships with students and their families so that they feel comfortable and trust our guidance, which is critical since the college application process can be intimidating and overwhelming for students and families who are experiencing it for the first time.
College Visions doesn’t just stop once a student has been accepted to college—you offer support once students are in college, as well. What kind of support is that, and how does it work?
We help students navigate a range of challenges they may experience in college—academic, financial, personal. About two-thirds of our students attend college in Rhode Island. Because they are close by, we can visit them on campus regularly and meet in person, check in and find out what support they may need. Depending on their needs, we provide them with direct support and/or we connect them with resources on campus. We also try to connect older CV students with new students so that they can be a resource.
How can people help College Visions with its mission? What would be most helpful as the organization evolves?
As a non-profit organization, we depend on the generosity of our supporters to fund our work and help advance our mission, so we are always deeply grateful for financial contributions. This support is especially important as we continue to innovate, expand our reach and deepen our impact over the next few years. Also, as we further develop our career programming, we hope to build partnerships with industry professionals and companies who can help provide career mentors, summer internships and other professional development opportunities to our students.
Finally, what does the future hold for College Visions? Where would you like to see it go, and what are some areas of expansion for you?
In the coming year, we’ll engage in a planning process to determine our priorities for the next three to five years. For now, what I know is that over the next few years, we will further develop two important initiatives that we launched recently—our expansion to northern Rhode Island, where we are now serving a community that has the lowest college enrollment rates in the state, and our new fellowship program designed to increase the numbers of Black and Latino males in college. Another priority that I expect will emerge from our planning is building a robust career program to support students in the college-to-career transition. This is critical because while our mission is to empower students to pursue and earn a college degree, our longer term vision is that CV Scholars will graduate from college, build successful and meaningful careers and become our next generation of leaders.
Visit CollegeVisions.org to learn more about the organization and find out how you can contribute to their vital mission.