The FinishLine program is a dual enrollment opportunity that targets students needing support. Program Director, Ryonnel Jackson emphasizes that "The FinishLine committee believes that the right amount of nurturing can prepare many of our students for the next level.  This kind of nurturing environment is packed with peer mentors, adult mentors, caring instructors, and a commitment to advance equity across all systems."

 

Last year's top FinishLine scholar, Kerriana G., recently stopped by to tell a portion of her story and FinishLine experience.

 

"This experience was excellent because it taught me how to plan and prepare for both college and the real world. Learning how to solve problems, multi-task, and use time-management has really helped me during my freshman year in college. At one point, I was thinking about not even going to college because it seemed out of reach.  To make matters worse, my car was stolen as well. Fortunately, I was encouraged to stay in the FinishLine program and claim a first-place scholarship worth $5,000 for the top student in the program. I was even more pleased to learn that these funds went directly to me, and they were immediately put to use to purchase my new car. I will be forever grateful for my scholarship and this wonderful program! Every student that attended the program felt special. The staff did an excellent job of acknowledging our effort and keeping us motivated when we were down or second guessing ourselves. I am forever grateful and thankful."

 

Kerriana is currently a freshman in good standing at SIUE (Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville) with a 3.0 GPA.