‘College Row’ Greets Brooks Students Returning From Break

has stepped up its efforts to let students know going to college is indeed an option for all of them.

Students returning from winter break found almost 40 college and university pennants, banners and stickers hanging on “College Row” in the school’s lunch area.

“The whole idea is to get kids thinking and talking about college,” said Brooks guidance counselor Danielle McDermott. “We’ve talked about the transition to high school and the importance of passing classes in the past but we’ve really never focused on college.”

“We don’t want any kids going through Brooks without knowing they can go to college if they want to,” added . “Some of our kids are very clear and articulate about their plans and goals for the future, but a lot of them haven’t really thought about it, which is understandable.”

The largest lunch room flags represent the students’ top 10 college choices as reflected in a Red Ribbon Week survey in October. A Brooks staff member’s family donated some of the longer banners and guidance counseling staff obtained the smaller banners and pennants from various colleges.

In addition to College Row, Brooks staff hopes to create additional awareness by hanging their college diplomas outside their classrooms and offices and by maintaining a corkboard with information about colleges teachers attended.

Future possibilities include 7^th grade visits to such schools as Lewis University, University of St. Francis, Benedictine University and Joliet Junior College and a college fair perhaps staffed by parents of students who attended college.

“To them, college seems so far away. But it really isn’t,” McDermott said. “What they do now really does matter when they go to college. We just want them to know this can happen for them.”