Hello and welcome to my Summer Fellowship blog! 

The Columbus Foundation Summer Fellowship Program is providing the perfect context to begin narrating my first blog. Writing to an audience over an extending period of time is something new for me, but considering where I am in my life right now; taking on new challenges seems to becoming very familiar!

Just five weeks ago, almost to the day, I was in Ohio Stadium listening to President Obama address my graduating class on the meaning of citizenship and altruism and the importance of community and active participation in that community, country, and world. His words couldn’t ring more true for how I developed over the past four years and where I will continue going from here. Social justice, diversity, service to others…. are just some of the values I have deliberately intertwine into my education and experiences throughout my undergraduates years and now as I stand in the gateway to the “real world” I want nothing more than to find how and where I can live out those values now. I believe The Columbus Foundation Summer Fellowship Program will be the perfect stepping stones to begin that journey and I am excited to be sharing it with all of you.

Graduation day with my parents

This summer I will be working at Columbus Collegiate Academy and my primary role will be to recruit and enroll potential students for the 2013-2014 academic school year. This includes (but is not limited to!) developing creative marketing strategies, talking with parents and families about the infinite benefits of sending their son or daughter to CCA and reaching out to community organizations for their support. Columbus Collegiate Academy is a tuition-free, open enrollment, public charter middle school with two campuses in Columbus. CCA Main opened just five years ago on the east side and has had incredible success. CCA has receive numerous awards including an excellent rating on the Columbus City Schools report card, only one of five schools to receive such a high marking. The average CCA student arrives there in 6^th grade nearly two or three grade levels below the average American 6^th grader and leaves in 8^th grade at or above the average 8^th grade level and with acceptance and scholarships to some of the best high schools in Columbus. I could go on forever talking up all the amazing results that are achieved here, but in short, the school leaders to have the right recipe of structure and support low-income children need to achieve academic success and ultimately thrive in our globalizing world.  

I am beyond thrilled to be working at Columbus Collegiate Academy working for something I truly believe in, a quality education for every child. Please check out CCA’s website to learn more about their amazing achievements and stay tuned to my blog for updates on my experience.

Thanks for reading!

Nikki