WOFFORD STUDENT BUILDS OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS—

Rewind back to your senior year of high school—I know, right? What a stressful year it was. Thinking back on the numerous amounts of colleges you applied to, taking the dreadful standardized tests, the transcripts you had to send to the colleges you applied to, and of course…finally making a decision to attend an institution that you’d be at for the next four years of your life. Now, imagine doing all of this with little to no help whatsoever during the college application process. Scary, huh?

Junior Bonner Scholar Donovan Hicks designed a service organization called S2S: Student to Student, which focuses on high school students who are in the process of applying to college, matching them with a Wofford student who will serve as a mentor throughout their application process. I sat down with Hicks to learn more about S2S and what it has to offer.

Can you elaborate more on S2S and what the service it provides?

S2S stands for ‘Student to Student.’ We started this in April of this year where we match college volunteers with Boiling Springs High School students—which are 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th graders—who have a goal of getting into college. The college volunteers have to meet with them once a month and set goals for each year. With each year, their job is to help their students meet goals and lead them to applying to colleges and achieving acceptances to colleges, as well. We try to reach for students not at the top of their class, but students who have the potential to be first generation college students.

What was your inspiration behind creating this initiative?

I’m a first generation college student and I went to Boiling Springs High School during my 10^th-12^th grades. We only had one guidance counselor per grade and I remember feeling incredibly stressed and over-worked when applying to college and I didn’t understand anything during the process. I think I really would have benefitted from someone who I could have talked to and told me “what is what” about college throughout the application process. I feel like I had the capacity to give back and so I got other people on board and I’m hoping for good outcomes for the program!

What is your goal or the outcome that you want to see S2S provide?

I basically want 100% college acceptance. We’re having our first senior class within the program this year and I want them all to get into college as well as have the option to go to college. Whether they do, of course, it’ll be their choice, but I want us as a program to at least get them there.

If Wofford students want to volunteer with S2S in any way, how would they go about doing this?

We had intake at the beginning of the year and we’ll have it at the beginning of next year, for sure. The reason why we do it on a yearly basis is so that students can get to know their mentor without having any changes during the middle of the year. But if students do want to get involved, they should email me ([email protected]) or Kalen Alverson ([email protected]), who is the Managing Director. We would love to have anybody who has a heart for working with students!

Seeing that you developed this project that connects to the community, how would you suggest others do so that want to make an impact in the community, but want to start something new?

First, you really have to get other people on board. You definitely can’t do it by yourself. Find people who are passionate about the same thing and then from there, just plan, plan plan, alongside developing a structure for the project. Then, you just need to recruit volunteers. Recruiting should always be the last step to the process because you need to have a cohesive idea as to what you want to see happen. Also, set goals and how you want to achieve them when developing your project. It’s definitely a long process and while it’s not easy, you need to have the time to commit to it and be really passionate about it. Passion is key!

And lastly, what advice would you give to students who want to get involved with service in any capacity, but are hesitant to do so?

Any post graduate opportunity—whether it may be a job or graduate school, law school, medical school or anything post Wofford—community service is a top priority. People want to see that you care about your community and that you are engaged in it. You definitely shouldn’t be hesitant about it, but you don’t want to overcommit yourself. Find one to two things that you like to do or that you are good at and pour yourself into them over the next four years.

For more information on S2S: Student to Student, visit their website at: http://hicksdj.wix.com/student2student or contact Donovan Hicks or Kalen Alverson via email.