Earlier this year, Siena received a $325,000 grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to promote college education and heath care careers for underserved K-12 students. The pilot program foreshadows success.
Before joining the Siena community, Fr. Greg Gebbia, O.F.M., director of enrollment management strategic partnerships, served as dean of students and then principal at Cristo Rey Newark High School in New Jersey. The Cristo Rey network of schools prepare youth from low income families for post-high school educational opportunities. Their mission aligns almost perfectly with the stated goals of the Mother Cabrini grant. The College didn't have to look far to find the right person to develop the pilot program.
"Those were some of my happiest years, working with underserved students and helping them to graduate from high school and college," said Fr. Greg. "Now, thanks to the Cabrini grant, Siena can go into underserved elementary and middle schools in the area and help to spark that dream of going to college."
Near the end of the school year this spring, Fr. Greg led a team of Siena volunteers into School #2 in Troy, NY where they met with 3rd through 5th graders. The youngest students made "dream catchers" and answered three questions: 1) What do I want to be when I grow up?; 2) What will I need to study to reach that goal?; 3) Who will be there to help me accomplish those career goals?
The 4th and 5th graders filled out a brief questionnaire that led them toward a career path. Next, they entered the "gallery of career fields". They were given a "passport" and traveled from display to display, filling out information about potential salary, degree requirements, and fun facts specific to different careers. Once they finished their exploration, their passport was stamped with a sticker that said, "Dream Big."
"The last thing we did was award each student a Certificate of Awesomeness," said Fr. Greg. "This is all about planting the seeds of hope at a young age and inspiring them to take seriously the skills and school work that will be necessary for their dreams to become a reality. Underserved students typically don't have the same support system in place. The Cabrini grant is a perfect fit for our mission."
Siena is in contact with several underserved elementary schools in the Capital Region, and will continue the program, on a larger scale, beginning this fall.
"I chose to volunteer with Fr. Greg for these workshops because I had access to similar resources during my own school years, a privilege not afforded to all students and schools. As a first-generation college student, I vividly recall the confusion my family experienced during the college search process. Being able to assist these students in envisioning college as an attainable goal from a young age is both profoundly meaningful to me and crucial for their future."
John Bond, associate director of admissions
