Ke’Von Finds College Success with the Support of NAZ!
NAZ scholar Ke’Von spent his freshman year of high school transferring between two different schools before finally ending up at North High School, a NAZ Anchor School. When NAZ Academic Specialist Andrew Bloomquist met Ke’Von in 2014, the student was struggling in multiple subjects, and just barely above a passing grade.
For two years, Ke’Von, Andrew, and Ke’Von’s family worked together to help the young man become—and remain—successful in school. Andrew tutored Ke’Von after school in math and science, and offered guidance on organizational tips and techniques. They also partnered with Ke’Von’s advisory teacher to stay on top of his grades by doing weekly check-ins, targeting missing assignments, and putting together plans to stay organized. As a result of Ke’Von’s hard work and partnership with staff at NAZ and North High, he consistently earned placement on the A and B honor rolls.
Ke’Von and Andrew worked together his junior and senior year to research colleges and complete applications. They partnered extensively with the counselor at North High, as well as the Career and College Center at AchieveMpls, another valued NAZ Anchor Partner, to develop a college and scholarship application plan that singled out specific schools Ke’Von was interested in. The targeted approach proved a success, as Ke’Von was accepted into several colleges. Ultimately, he chose to pursue his post-secondary education at Bethune-Cookman University, a distinguished historically black college and university, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Ke’Von began his college year this Fall.
And for his accomplishments, Ke’Von was recognized by NAZ with the Saunders Foundation Scholarship, a four-year financial award given to a NAZ scholar who has exemplified academic excellence, community engagement, and strong college readiness.
According to Andrew, “There is no doubt that Ke’Von was raised in a household that values education, hard work and persistence. Ke’Von will be missed by many at North, but we know he will experience many great successes at college and beyond!”