April 5, 2023
Emporia, Kansas —The American College Application Campaign (ACAC) recognized Flint Hills Technical College Consortium as a 2022 School of Excellence winner as part of the Apply Kansas event. A Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) initiative in partnership with ACAC, Apply Kansas is designed to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from low-income families pursuing a college degree or other higher education credential. Flint Hills Technical College Consortium is one of 23 winners across the nation representing institutions helping students pursue postsecondary access.
Many students find the college application process stressful or confusing. Because of the collaborative efforts of Central Heights, Hartford, Lyndon, Lebo, and Waverly high school counselors and Flint Hills Technical College admissions staff, students receive the support they need to break down the steps to apply to college. This is a unique effort to ensure students in rural high schools apply, enroll, and succeed with college or other post-secondary goals.
“Flint Hills Technical College wanted to make sure we could provide a space for students to come together and celebrate this milestone in their life. It just made sense to open our doors and bring together college representatives from around the state and serve the students in our rural communities,” said Bryan Crouch, Director of Admissions at Flint Hills Technical College.
Janella Newton, counselor at USD 243 Lebo/Waverly, stated, “This recognition is the result of the extraordinary efforts of educators, parents, community members, and leaders across our region to work together to help our students succeed after high school. Now more than ever, students deserve to have resources to guide them through the complex college application and admission process.”
Through the Apply Kansas endeavor, the Flint Hills Technical College Consortium hosted students from the five rural high schools. Representatives from eight colleges and universities answered students’ questions, and the students completed 85 college applications. To celebrate the collaboration, ACAC presented a plaque to Flint Hills Technical College Consortium. Representing the group is Janella Newton of USD 243 Lebo/Waverly and Bryan Crouch of Flint Hills Technical College.
“There could not be a more critical time to support students and educators, and the remarkable reach of this year’s application campaign demonstrates the value and strength of these collaborations,” ACAC Director Lisa King said. “As students continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic, we must do all we can to remove the barriers they tell us they have in accessing education opportunities that are right for them. We are extremely proud of this year’s School of Excellence awardees, as they are true examples of how communities can work together to help students succeed.”
Nationally, 4.2 million students have been served by ACAC, and 7.3 million applications have been submitted since the Campaign began in 2005. More information on the winners and the Campaign can be found at: https://leadershipblog.act.org/2023/04/school-of-excellence-awards.html