A Call to
CollegeDiane DeLawder, Program
Director
740.328.2255
ddelawder@laca.orgTracy
Ellington, Challenge Program
Director
740.328.2255
tellington@laca.orgA
Call to College, Newark's college access program
was founded by the vision and generosity of Newark
High School alumni. With help from the community,
it serves Newark High School students, remains
anchored in the community, and is its vision for
the future.
It's a vision that started in
1988 with one man, Louis A. Mitchell (Newark High
School Class of '53). Mitchell saw the success of
Columbus City Schools' I KNOW I CAN college access
program, and wanted Newark students to have the
same opportunities. With matching funds from
County Savings Bank, Mitchell challenged alumni to
contribute money for scholarships. They responded
generously, giving $125,000 that very first year.
With matching money from the bank, an endowment
fund was set up in 1991, and under the direction
and guidance of Jane McConnell, the vision of
college access came into focus.
“A Call to
College is the best thing that has ever happened
to us as parents and to our children," said one
parent. "Without scholarship programs like yours,
it would be virtually impossible for my daughter
to live her dream of going to college," said
another parent.
In nine years, A Call to
College has awarded last-dollar grants to 837
students. The program has advised 2,798 students,
helping them locate additional funding sources and
navigate the maze of paperwork, working with them
through federal and college financial aid
applications, career choices and colleges, and
holding their hands through the stressful process
of comparing college award letters.
"All
of this has been accomplished through the enormous
dedication of hundreds of volunteers," said Diane
DeLawder, program director. " A Call to College
has just two employees, and they are part-time
workers. This is a community program, a program
for the students of Newark High School. The
community has poured its heart and soul into the
program, and the community will reap the rewards."
More than 5,837 volunteer hours have been
logged over the past nine years. Volunteers
counsel students one-on-one; they lead financial
aid workshops during evening hours; they work with
Ohio State University-Newark to arrange campus
tours; they raise money to keep the vision alive
and thriving.
"What a fantastic legacy
Newark is building," DeLawder said. "It's a legacy
of growth and opportunity, of hope and success."
It is a legacy that continues to grow with
each graduating class. And it is a legacy that is
not lost on youth.
"I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the financial aid that you have so generously given to me," one student recently said. "It is wonderful that your organization recognizes the importance of a college education and is actively fighting rising costs. I hope that by pursing a career in education, I can return what you have given me in the future."