CAA enters second year of working with Boys and Girls Club Center in Florida

January 20, 2010

College Admissions Assistance (CAA) is all about making a difference in the lives of others. That’s why last year it teamed up with the Reitman Unit of the Broward County Boys and Girls Club located in Broward County, Florida, and donated more than $65,000 dollars in services to its club members. Selected students are now entering their second year in CAA’s exclusive college-planning program. CAA is working with these students to prepare them for a common goal: acceptance to colleges that will help them realize their dreams and fulfill their destiny.

Ian Pyka, President of the Reitman Unit Advisory Board, commented that “CAA has been a true blessing for our Club! It has infused a fresh approach to creating a clear and feasible path to college. We appreciate all the positive changes they have been made in our children’s lives and we look forward to watching the students progress even further in 2010.”

Michael Caceres, Director of CAA’s Coaching Team, was himself a member of a Boys and Girls Club when he was a youth, so when he visited the Reitman Unit, it brought back fond memories. “I was happy to see that the Boys and Girls Club is still making a difference in young lives every day,” says Michael. “It was uplifting to meet so many great kids; they were polite, interested, enthusiastic about our program, and wanted to start setting goals right then! We are committed to making a major impact on their lives in the coming years, and they have certainly made an impact on our lives here at CAA.”

According to Kelvin Harris, Unit Director of the Reitman Boys and Girls Club, CAA is making a great impact. “The CAA coaches’ constant motivation and encouragement is truly helping the members reach their goals. It’s really quite amazing!”

Michael and his coaching team are looking forward to making the second year even better than the first. “They’re a terrific group of young people and we are privileged to work with them. I’m not sure who’s more excited about this next year…us or the students!”

College Admission Assistance is a comprehensive college-planning service that has helped thousands of students prepare themselves for college—from discovering a great career, achieving admission to the right college, and enjoying the best financial start in life. The company’s ultimate mission is to help each student live out their unique purpose in life by getting them started with the right college education.

CAA Completes Phase II Expansion Ahead of Schedule in Response to Continued Demand for Service

Arlington, TX—January 11, 2010 (College Admissions Assistance)

Due to the steadily increasing demand for its services, College Admissions Assistance (CAA) completed the secondary phase of its expansion plan in October of 2009, three months ahead of schedule. Phase II had been slated to begin in late January 2010, but was moved up to accommodate the influx of new students entering the program. CAA’s president Rick Byrd is thrilled with the progress: “We are excited and gratified with the response we are seeing. Our client base has once again doubled since last year, and we have responded by doubling our coaching staff and expanding our customer service facilities as part of our continued commitment to provide the highest level of service.”

CAA’s goal is to provide prompt, accurate, and individualized service to each of its students. CAA provides the most comprehensive college planning service available today.  CAA is the leading full service provider in their field and has the results and experience that only comes from helping tens of thousands of students plan for their future. Its dedicated coaching staff is available fifteen hours a day, Monday through Friday, to provide step-by-step assistance to their students and their parents. All coaches are degreed professionals, and receive intensive, on-going training in all aspects of the ever-changing college admissions process. The company’s approach has been so successful that it is also expanding its sales staff to accommodate a growing number of client referrals.

“Everyone at CAA is dedicated to helping students discover and achieve their educational goals, and fulfill their potential,” says Byrd. “We consider ourselves fortunate to be experiencing our rapid growth during the current economic times and we’re looking forward to another successful year of service to our client families.”

Jerome Evans Memorial Scholarship: Honoring Those Who Make a Difference

Arlington, TX—July 31, 2009 (College Admissions Assistance)

On July 31, 2009, College Admissions Assistance (CAA) announced the first award of the newly created Jerome Evans Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship was awarded to Yujia ("Mary") Liu of Vernon Hills, Illinois who plans to attend New York University beginning in the fall of 2009.

The $1,500 scholarship is named after one of CAA’s team members, Mr. Jerome T. Evans, III of metro Atlanta, GA, who died from injuries resulting from an accident that occurred in November of 2008. Mr. Evans was returning home from a CAA workshop at the time of the accident. Mr. Evans was fifty-six years old and is survived by his parents, wife, and four sons.

The scholarship will be awarded annually to a senior enrolled in the CAA program who writes the best essay of about 250 words explaining how he or she has made a positive difference in the life of another person or group of people. Essays will be judged on language use/grammar and content.

“Jerome would be elated if he knew that a scholarship had been created and named for him,” said his wife, Mrs. Debra Evans. “He always encouraged people to fulfill their potential and strive for excellence. I’m sure Jerome would say something along those lines to Mary if he were here with us today. Our entire family is honored that he will be remembered in this way. Education was so important to him.”

Mr. Evans’ own academic career encountered a major obstacle nearly from the onset. While a young elementary student he was diagnosed with rheumatic fever and told he could no longer attend school. Undaunted, his mother, Mrs. Mary Hawkins, proceeded to home-school her son, often with the help of his grandmother. Mrs. Hawkins relied on work provided by the school teachers and her own study materials gleaned from a set of encyclopedias she had purchased just for that purpose. “Jerome fondly remembered those encyclopedias as one of his favorite gifts,” Mrs. Hawkins said. “He read from them almost daily and was determined to be as smart as his peers who learned in the classroom while he studied at home.”

“I taught my son at home until the end of his junior year,” Mrs. Hawkins reminisced. “By that time his health had improved to the point that he was permitted to return to school. He surprised everybody with how much he knew. He was so strong in math that it wasn’t long before he began to tutor his fellow classmates.”

Mr. Evans went on to receive an R.J. Reynolds Foundation Scholarship and attended Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) in North Carolina and became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

After graduating from WSSU, Mr. Evans served as the School Director at several professional training schools before leaving the field of education to pursue a career in the health and fitness industry. “One of the reasons he was so excited about working for College Admissions Assistance was because it was his path back into the field of education,” Mrs. Evans said.

“My son was always hard-working and focused on accomplishing his dreams,” Mrs. Hawkins recalled with pride. “He extended himself to everyone he met to do whatever he possibly could to help them have a better way of life. We are so thankful that he be remembered in a manner as fitting as this scholarship.” Mr. Evans' seventeen year old son, Jeremy Evans is a rising senior already looking forward to his own college career. Jeremy hopes to major in software programming with a focus in computer gaming and animation. “My dad was such a good man and had a great sense of humor,” Jeremy said. “I can just see him walking up to Mary and saying, ‘Welcome to the family’.”

Mrs. Evans agreed with a laugh. “Even though Jerome is deeply missed, we find comfort in knowing that his loss has become a blessing to someone else through this scholarship,” she added.

Educator Finds Dream Job with CAA 
Arlington, TX—June 1, 2009 (College Admissions Assistance)

Born and raised in Wisconsin, Barbara Blascoe knew since the time she was in the third grade that she was destined to become a teacher. That career plan never changed. Graduating from the University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh with a degree in Education and a minor in English, Barbara stepped into her first classroom at the age of twenty-two. She went on to teach the first through sixth grades in Rockford, Illinois for thirty-four years.

"I am a teacher," Barbara says, "I’ve always loved and enjoyed helping students.” later obtained a Master’s degree in Education and specialized in teaching spelling, and eventually began work toward a doctorate degree. "I went to work every day knowing that I was contributing to improving my student's futures."

"One day a friend told me about College Admissions Assistance," she recalls, "and I knew I had found an opportunity that tapped into my passion." After being out of the classroom for four years, Barbara soon found herself working with students again. She has been with College Admissions Assistance (CAA) for eighteen months now, working as an Enrollment Consultant in the Midwest region.

"As I was getting to know the company, my first reaction was that I wished such a service had been available for my children while they were in high school. Although I have been an educator most of my life, I was not a college expert. So much has changed since the time when I first went to college; it has become so expensive and competitive to get into college. All four of my children entered college, but only one graduated. We just made so many mistakes,” she admits. “We learned the hard way that bad choices could delay graduation from college, or even prevent you from finishing."

"What speaks to me about CAA is the focus we place on the student and his or her dreams, not the financial aid package. We worry about if you are planning the right career for your interests and talents, and if you are pursuing the right school for that career. We make sure our students are on the right career path before we begin thinking about which colleges to consider. Yes, we also help students and families figure out how to pay for college, but only after we’ve done the other, more important work. I really believe we are approaching college admissions in the correct sequence of events."

The fact that Barbara now has a niece and nephew enrolled in CAA is an endorsement of how much she believes in the service.

"When I see students enroll in our program, I become so excited because I know I am helping them. I know that they will have a better college experience because of CAA than they would have otherwise had. It is so rewarding to me to once again be a part of helping students make the most of themselves, to assure that they will have a better future. Honestly, it is the coaches who are doing the real work with our students, but then I am the one who convinces them to seize the opportunity CAA represents. In that way, I believe I am continuing to impact students' lives.

One of the validations I received about CAA came when I enrolled the daughter of a high school guidance consultant. He told me he didn't have the time or resources to give his own child what we were going to be able to provide her through CAA. My job is to help families and students understand how wonderful an opportunity CAA really is. And it is; I know this because I watched my own children struggle to find their way in college. I would have given anything to provide this service to them if CAA had been available back then."

Seeing the impact of CAA and wanting to make it available to as many students as possible, Barbara has recently decided to move into a new role, that of a Community Representative. "As I've told my friends about my new career, they want to know how to enroll their own children in CAA. That convinced me there is a need in my own community, and since I love the school system here and worked in it for so many years, it seemed a natural progression for me to become a Community Representative."

When asked if she enjoys what is shaping up to be her second career in education, Barbara is quick to confirm that she does. “It is so rewarding to see the relief come over students’ faces when they realize they are going to receive help getting into college. And beyond that, every now and then I will hear about students I enrolled and it brings me to tears when I learn how well they've done on the SAT or about a scholarship they've received. It gives me great pleasure to know that, because of our encounter at a workshop, they are going to have a better college experience." She paused and then added, "In a small measure, I'm still helping to improve their futures, I think."

Indeed she is.

CAA Completes Phase One of Three-Phase Expansion Plan
Arlington, TX—July 7, 2009 (College Admissions Assistance)

Lee Sechrist, Executive Vice President of College Admissions Assistance, LLC (CAA), a private educational-service organization, announced today the successful completion of Phase I of the company’s three-phase expansion plan. The company has invested heavily in infrastructure and staff to accommodate the needs of its rapidly expanding client base.

"Our growth is right on schedule," Sechrist says. "In just a little over two years, thousands of families across forty-one states have turned to us for help with the college planning process.  To continue giving our students the high level of quality service we are known for, we have increased our coaching staff, and expanded our offices as well."

Phase II of the expansion plan is scheduled to begin in January, 2010. At that time, the company will expand its Arlington, Texas customer support facility an additional forty percent. "At the end of Phase II we will have doubled our coaching staff,” Sechrist explains.  "Our expansion is a direct response to the increased demand for our services, and we are adding staff to ensure that every student has a substantive and rewarding experience with CAA. The success our company has experienced is primarily due to our personal commitment to our students, and providing the highest levels of service and support to those who rely on us for guidance with college planning."

CAA provides the most comprehensive college planning service available today.  Its dedicated coaching staff is available fifteen hours a day, Monday through Friday, to provide expert assistance and personal interaction with our students and their parents.

Star Student Receives Business Scholarship
May 6, 2009 (College Admissions Assistance)

In May, 2009, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce presented the 10th annual Jeanne Bellamy Scholarship Award to Valentina Contesse, a senior at Coral Reef High School. This scholarship is funded in part by CAA.

This award was created in 2000 by the Chamber and was named after Jeanne Bellamy, the first Woman Chairperson of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, who served in 1977. The award is for a graduating female senior from Miami Dade County Public Schools pursuing a college degree in business.

Valentina Contesse and her family came to Miami from Chile when she was in the fourth grade. She is President of the National Art Honor Society in her school, has a 5.07 GPA and is planning to attend the University of Florida where she will major in Advertising and Marketing and minor in Graphic Design.

In addition to excelling in academics, Valentina stood out among the other candidates for the award because of her extensive community involvement. In the past four years she has served over 1200 volunteer hours with various civic projects and organizations.

"It is an honor to receive an award that was created to recognize a woman who succeeded in business to the degree that Jeanne Bellamy did," Valentina said. "I am so happy to be the tenth recipient of this distinguished award."

In a recent interview Valentina was asked to describe herself. This is what she had to say:

"I like to have a lot of things going on. In high school I had to learn to balance academics, clubs, volunteering and my job; it really helped me with my time management! What I enjoyed most was the Visual and Performing Arts tutoring project I organized for fifth graders. I wanted to introduce middle school students to the possibility of attending magnet schools, and that project helped me to accomplish that. It was challenging at times but the kids helped me stay motivated."

How did you manage to volunteer for over 1200 hours, keep a job and maintain your grades?

"I've been a volunteer since I was a freshman; the hours just added up over four consecutive years. In addition to the tutoring project, I've been a cheerleading coach, a Best Buddy, worked with the Haitian Relief Project, and organized the arts and crafts supply drive for Miami Children's Hospital. I like helping people."

You applied to five colleges and were accepted by all of them, right?

"Yes, and I've decided to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville. It was my top choice because they have a great advertising and marketing program in the Business School, and a strong graphic design program. I want to learn how to use all the digital tools available today for graphic artists. I'm excited about the opportunity to combine business and the arts in my studies.

I have to admit I'm a little nervous about being that far away from my family. As a Hispanic family we are very close and enjoy a lot of activities together. Not being a part of what they are doing is going to be very different for me."

Please tell us about your family.

"I have an older brother and sister. He studied Business Administration and she, Public Relations. They, and my Dad, who is in advertising, have been strong influences on my college and career plans.

My Dad was transferred to the US from Chile to open a branch office in Miami to serve the growing Hispanic market. I used to go to work with him and there I learned a lot about marketing and advertising."

Your parents have raised a houseful of overachievers!

"Yes, they are very proud of each of us. I also have one younger brother. We think he will be the smartest one in the family!"

What does the future hold for you?

"I've always seen myself working for an advertising company as an art director or marketing director. But it's early still; I could change my mind as I become familiar with other areas of study and careers. Ask me again in a few years. I can say, however, that I want to come back to Miami to work so that I can be close to my family again."

You seem too busy to have a social life. How well do you relate to your peers?

"People ask me all the time how I manage everything, but it just seems normal to me. I have a boyfriend with whom I spend a good amount of time, and I see my friends from school. We go to movies, the park, and hang out at each other's houses. I used to get stressed because I was so busy, but over the years I've learned to manage it. I hope I've inspired some of my friends to take on more than they initially thought they were capable of. I think I've helped them to see how to be organized."

You have a lot of leadership skills. Are you interested in management?

"I just came back from orientation at the University of Florida. While there I learned about their leadership program. I may choose to minor in that also."

Your life seems to parallel Jeanne Bellamy’s career very nicely; she accomplished so much and so have you. You are a bit young to be thinking about your legacy, but if you could determine how people at Coral Reef Senior High School would remember you, what would you choose?

"I am grateful for what the community has given me, especially the opportunity to attend magnet schools, and I've wanted to show my gratitude by giving back. I'd like to do that by helping break the language barrier in schools. Many Hispanic children have parents that don't understand English. So often young children can&'t take advantage of all the opportunities available in their schools because their parents aren't aware of them or don't know how to get their children involved. That is what the tutoring project was really about. I'd be very proud to be remembered for that."

Based on her accomplishments to date, it seems sure that Valentina Contesse will have many successes in her future. Certainly she will continue to impact others' lives through her generous and caring spirit. It is because of people like Valentina that we at CAA are proud to be a sponsor of the Jeanne Bellamy Scholarship Award.

Devon Robinson Receives $1500 Scholarship from College Admissions Assistance  

Arlington, TX—July 7, 2008 (College Admissions Assistance)

Each year, College Admissions Assistance (CAA) awards a scholarship to a deserving member of its college-planning program.  In 2008, that person was Mission Hills High School senior Devon Robinson of San Marcos, California.  Devon, who is interested in the relationship between health, nutrition, and diet, was accepted at all three schools she applied to:  University of California Riverside, San Jose State, and San Francisco State.  

Devon writes, “CAA lived up to their word. They stayed in touch with me through email to prompt me about each step for the task at hand. At the beginning of the program, they had me do a personal assessment to help me determine my skills and how they would relate to my major in college.  This really helped me by confirming my own educational goals.”  

College Admission Assistance is a comprehensive college-planning service that has helped thousands of students prepare themselves for college—from discovering a great career, achieving admission to the right college, and enjoying the best financial start in life. The company’s ultimate mission is to help each student live out their unique purpose in life.

College Admissions Assistance Contributes Matching Funds to Jeanne Bellamy Scholarship  
Miami, FL—May 7, 2008 (Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce)

The 2008-2009 Jeanne Bellamy Scholarship will be awarded to a female high school senior from a Miami-Dade County Public High School who intends to pursue a degree in business. College Admissions Assistance (CAA) became a major benefactor to the 2008-2009 scholarship by contributing matching funds. CAA is known nationally for its successful college-planning program, helping high school students decide on a career path—whether in business, technology, science, or the arts—and preparing them to achieve their college goals.

Jeanne Bellamy was one of the Miami Herald’s most well-known reporters, and her 36-year career with the Herald was groundbreaking. She was used to seeing her name linked to the phrase, “The first woman to. . . .”  After leaving the Herald, she became active in the Miami business community, where she continued to amass many more “firsts”—including becoming first woman chair of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.

“Health Care Heroes” Win Scholarships from College Admissions Assistance
Miami, FL—May 1, 2008 (Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce)

Marilu Rios Kernan, Chief Marketing Officer for College Admissions Assistance, LLC, proudly presented a $500 scholarship to each of the two runners-up in the Youth Volunteer category of the 2008 Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s annual Health Care Heroes’ award luncheon on May 1st, 2008. Both volunteers were from Miami.

In order to qualify for the Health Care Heroes Youth Volunteer Awards, students must be under the age of 19, and have gone “above and beyond” the scope of their volunteer job(s) in the health care community.  They also must be nominated for the award by another person.  Winners and runners-up of this year’s competition volunteered in many different areas of health care, organizing fund-raising events for a children’s facility, creating informational brochures on nursing, and holding blood drives, in addition to their regular volunteer duties.    

College Admissions Assistance, whose main offices are located in Texas, is dedicated to helping teens reach their educational goals and become happy, successful, financially secure adults.

Merrill Lynch NFTE Regional Business Competition
Miami, FL— April 16, 2008 (College Admissions Assistance)

Marilu Rios Kernan served as a judge for the North Miami Beach Senior High School NFTE Business Plan Competition. Several students from the high school presented their business plans to a group of judges made up of local entrepreneurs and business people.  

NFTE (National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship) provides hands-on training to students in low-income communities, teaching them how to start their own businesses. Then those students begin to realize that there is a connection between their academic skills (such as math and reading) and real-life applications. According to NFTE, studies show that students who are taught about entrepreneurship “show a positive change in attitude and strong success orientation, and are more likely to be focused on academic and professional achievements and aspirations and leadership. NFTE’S goal is to give young people the skills and confidence to unlock their true potential, so they find their own pathways to prosperity.”  

Marilu Rios Kernan is the Chief Marketing Officer for College Admissions Assistance, LLC (CAA), a company whose own mission is similar to NFTE’s. CAA’s focus is on helping students live out their unique purpose in life by helping them get started with the right college education. CAA has helped thousands of students across the country achieve their college dreams and fulfill their potential.