Next Step student Taylor Gese
Posted by Greg Starup
on Sep 26, 2012
Next Step is a mentoring program designed to assist students in the process of applying for and selecting the college, or continuing education program, that is right for them, and gives them the best chance of future success. Taylor Gese was one of those students last school year. The Monroe Rotary assisted with providing part of the funding required for Taylor to attend a summer session of New York University.
Taylor aspires to participate in the music industry, a field that is rapidly changing due to technology advances and the way that people prefer to acquire and listen to music. These changes also impact the relationship of the artists to the industry. During the session, Taylor attended a wide variety of classes to help her determine her vocational, and educational goals. As a result, she discovered that her initial goals did not align with what she really wanted to do. The end result is that she has applied for admission to NYU, and will pursue a career in the music production industry that will focus more on the artists than the production companies.
Patterned after a similar program started by the Lakewood WA Rotary Club, Next Step identifies good students who have aspirations to continue their education after graduation, but may not have the support group around them to achieve their goals without our help. The program helps students:
- Ensure they are enrolled in classes that give them the best chance to pursue their future goals,
- stay on track in preparing for standardized testing,
- learn how to set themselves apart from their peers in the college application process, and
- identify and pursue scholarship opportunities.