COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS

Crossover Mission’s College & Career Readiness program goal is to equip its 8th-12th grade student athletes and their families with the tools needed to purposefully navigate the steps to high school graduation and then to develop a roadmap for higher education, training, certifications or other paths that can lead to a meaningful and successful career. The program also supports Crossover’s growing alumni network as they experience their first four years of post-secondary education, service in the military, or entry to the workforce. Under the guidance of Crossover Mission’s dedicated College & Career Readiness Advisor and the assistance of program staff, student athletes and their parents are encouraged to explore and build an individualized plan for post-secondary education.

The College & Career Readiness program has five components:

1. College Preparation
2. Career Exploration
3. Life Skills Development
4. Networking Opportunities
5. Access to Resources

Because we realize that planning for higher education must start pre-high school, Crossover has expanded its College & Career Readiness program to include all students in grades 8-12. Crossover’s College & Career Readiness Advisor meets individually with all enrolled student athletes and their parents to review graduation requirements, plan appropriate high school classes rigorous enough for success in higher education, connect student athletes with appropriate academic support, document their volunteer hours required for scholarships and graduation, and assist student athletes in registering for the ACT and/or SAT tests.

With all this support for the student athletes to prepare for higher education success, all would be for naught without the means to attend college. So many of our student athletes get to the point of acceptance and give up because financial aid and applying for scholarships is too daunting. Crossover’s program includes crucial, personalized, and comprehensive student and parent conversations regarding each school’s costs as well as step-by-step support with financial aid: federal aid, state and regional scholarships, and college-specific scholarships. In many ways, this is the most extensive and labor-intensive requirement of the college-bound process–-and is one reason why so many students fail to earn a higher education degree. We educate and support parents with this process a full two years in advance of application filing so they are ready for the comprehensive tax and financial reporting requirements.

Because financial education is such an important component of this program, we aim to minimize and even eliminate debt that a student athlete might be saddled with after completing his or her college/vocational degree. As we understand how an individual’s personal financial decisions can impact one over a lifetime, we emphasize financial aid and scholarship applications in the program’s curriculum.

The program also supports Crossover alumni while enrolled in college.  Nationally, the vast majority of at-risk (lowest income and first in family) student athletes will not complete even one semester because they and their parents are unfamiliar with accessing academic, social, and financial support at their college or school. However, Crossover’s College & Career Readiness program continues to support students and families to break this cycle by connecting students with the many supports specific to their college or program and assisting parents with the annual financial aid process.

Thank you to our contributors for being the cornerstone of our mission and supporting our program and scholarship fund. Their support has been pivotal in providing opportunities for growth, learning, and achievement for our student athletes.

For more information or to schedule a tour of Crossover Mission’s Center for Excellence, please contact Director of Development Triana Romero at 772.257.5400 or tromero@crossovermission.com