Mentorship program provides college connection for Ridgecrest students

For fifth- and sixth-graders at Ridgecrest Elementary in Puyallup, a weekly visit from Pierce College students brings confidence and understanding to life after high school in the Puyallup School District.

Ridgecrest counselor Danetta Nelson and Pierce College’s college access coordinator, Sarah McDaniel, started the program partway through last school year, and are still going strong entering the program’s second year.

“It encourages our kids to think outside of life beyond the Puyallup School District,” Nelson said. “It helps them see what options they have, and what life is like in college. It allows them to hang out with someone other than the normal adults they interact with.”

The program has nearly 35 students from Ridgecrest that are partnered with a student from Pierce College, where they have lunch together, play at recess together and connect over different activities focusing on the importance of post-secondary education.

“For elementary students, they can casually talk with those who are in college, and envision themselves to be more like them,” McDaniel said. “No matter how they do it, they are getting some kind of information about college, and we can provide that missing piece.”

Pierce College students are also seeing positive impacts from their weekly lunches with Ridgecrest students.

“The Pierce College students are taking time out of their day to volunteer, and that looks good on both job applications and school applications,” McDaniel said.

Khamara Hayden, 11, has lunch with her mentor, Kaylee Moergeli, 19, who is in Pierce College’s dental hygiene program.

“She’s the best person here,” Hayden said of Moergeli. “We talk about random things, and college and jobs.”

Hayden says her weekly lunches with Moergeli have changed the way she thinks about college and her future.

“It makes me want to go to college more,” she said. “I didn’t think I wanted to go to college before this because my dad didn’t go to college and still got a good job. Now that I’m here, I think I can go to college.”

Moergeli says not only does the mentorship program look good on her resume, it also gives her a chance to work with kids and have some fun with them.

While the program has inspired many to change the way they think of post-secondary options, it has helped boost students’ confidence when it comes to the possibility of college.

“At the beginning, I was scared about going to college,” said Christopher Pehrson, 12. “Now I’m confident.”

This story was originally published March 2, 2016 at 12:02 PM with the headline "Mentorship program provides college connection for Ridgecrest students."