Madelyn “Maddy” Jemiolo, a junior at Westfield High School, juggles a demanding schedule of school, part-time work, the varsity ski team, and a social life. So when she first heard about The Westfield Promise program during a school assembly, it seemed like it would be too much. Could she add college-level classes to an already full agenda? Jemiolo quickly realized that she could.
With aspirations to become a teacher, Jemiolo soon realized that this newly launched program meant a head start on college at a reasonable cost and a life lesson or two on the balancing act of making it all work. Jemiolo is one of 91 high school juniors and seniors from five nearby schools participating in this inaugural year of The Westfield Promise. A few years down the road, she plans to be the first person in her family to graduate from college.
A number of students in the program are in a similar situation. Some were resigned to a full-time job following high school. Undergraduate classes were not in the plans, especially not while still enrolled in high school. The Westfield Promise changed their direction.
With the help of a state grant, Westfield State launched this unique early college experience program in February 2017 to collaborate with public high schools in the nearby communities of Westfield, Holyoke, and Springfield, which have high populations of underrepresented minorities and low-income and first-generation college students. This initiative began on a smaller scale three years ago with Westfield Technical Academy, explains Shelley Tinkham, Ph.D., dean of the College of Graduate and Continuing Education. But when Dr. Ramon S. Torrecilha, became president of Westfield State, he expanded the program’s reach to Springfield and Holyoke.
The Westfield Promise brings Westfield State faculty to the high schools to lead courses such as English Composition 101 and American National Government during the students’ junior year. In their senior year, the students are invited to attend courses on campus. Dr. Tinkham and Ryan Meersman, Westfield State’s early college access and education recruitment coordinator, say the goals are far-reaching. They include increased student success, heightened collaboration between college faculty and high school educators, decreased student debt, and established pathways to a more diverse campus population. Students who successfully complete The Westfield Promise program receive priority admission if they choose to attend Westfield State, says Dr. Tinkham.
Dominick Garcia, a junior at Holyoke High School, has been impressed with Westfield State since a middle school field trip brought him to campus years ago. “In other programs, it’s about just taking the classes. This is an all-around experience. They’re offering a lot to you,” he says, referring to the 12 college credits students can earn. “Go all-in if you’re going to do it. Get the full experience,” he advises.
Miguel Vaquez, a 16-year-old from Chicopee and a student at Westfield High, is doing just that. “I think the program is amazing,” he says. “It’s different than high school. It’s more responsibility, and the work they give us
is more independent.”
The high school teachers and college professors work together to incorporate their lessons while program administrators like Meersman work to help students keep organized and motivated, Jemiolo says. “I thought it was going to be overwhelming,” she says. “I’m surprised
how easy it is to balance it all.”
