College Success Advisor

Description

Position Title: College Success Advisor

Reports To: Director of College Success

Organization Overview:

Steppingstone prepares students from marginalized communities to access, navigate, and graduate from college through two initiatives, the Steppingstone Scholars Program and the National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA). The Steppingstone Scholars Program is a direct-service program in Boston that provides academic, social-emotional, and college-readiness services to students, called Scholars, beginning as early as fifth grade and continuing all the way through college graduation. The Steppingstone Scholars Program consists of five components: Admissions, the Academy, Middle School Success, High School Success, and College Success. NPEA connects the people, practices, and innovations for eliminating barriers to educational access, and college and career success for underserved students.

Position Summary:

Scholar Support Services is made up of Middle School Success, High School Success, and College Success and supports Scholars and their families through college graduation after the intensive Academy summer and school year program. College Success serves approximately 600 Scholars pursuing college (2-year and 4-year) and other post-secondary paths (work, trade, and other workforce programs). Over 80% of Scholars will be first generation college students and the majority of them come from low income backgrounds. Based on research and analysis conducted by the National Student Clearinghouse, the national 6-year graduation rate for students who entered college in Fall 2015 was 62.2%. For the two cohorts after, the graduation rate remained relatively stagnant at 62.3% and 62.2%. In Boston Public Schools, 52% of those who started college in Fall 2015 graduated with a college degree within six years. Black and Latinx students graduated at a rate of 42% compared to their White and Asian peers at a rate over 70%. Given these realities, the College Success team seeks to build Scholars’ knowledge and confidence in navigating college spaces to increase year-to-year persistence, support Scholars in accessing resources in their communities that help to enhance their learning and growth as an individual, and guide them through financial aid situations and applications.

The College Success Advisor’s primary responsibility is to support and advise a cohort of Steppingstone Scholars beginning as early as the spring of a Scholar’s senior year of high school and through their college experience. The College Success Advisor will work collaboratively on a small team to lead the implementation of college transition and success programming, including financial aid assistance, transfering, enrollment and adjustment support, and career coaching. The College Success team uses a collective case management advising model, but also provides one-on-one advising for college freshmen and seniors, and a cohort of other priority Scholars. Advisors will develop strong relationships with Scholars on their caseload in order to support their individual needs and goals. The College Success Advisor will fully participate, contribute, and lead other department initiatives and projects that will support the personal growth and post-secondary success of each Scholar. The Advisor will work a Monday-Friday schedule. Some evening and Saturday work is required and work schedules can be adjusted accordingly within that week. Evening work typically ends around 7:00 p.m. 

The Steppingstone office is hybrid with the expectation that employees will work in the office a minimum of two days per week, with some flexibility around work hours. A $500 home office set-up stipend will be provided upon hire, followed by quarterly stipends of $50. Laptops are provided to each employee to enhance the hybrid experience.

The Steppingstone office is accessible by public transit and has very limited parking availability.

Program staff support the admission of new students and families to the Steppingstone Scholars Program, including interviewing prospective students and families. Due to the nature of those interviews, PTOs are granted on a very limited basis in February.

Salary Range: $60,000 

Start Date: August 2024

Responsibilities:

Advising

• Develop meaningful one-on-one relationships with Advisees and their families to support Scholars’ personal growth and post-secondary success, often referring them to resources and recommending opportunities available on- and off-campus.
• Advise and maintain ongoing contact through emails, texts, phone calls, and virtual or in-person meetings with a caseload of 60-90 Advisees 
  • Support Scholars for a smooth transition and adjustment to post-secondary life
    • Conduct one-on-one meetings with rising college freshmen the summer before college matriculation to ensure they are meeting deadlines and completing enrollment tasks. These include, but are not limited to: paying first bill, waiving health insurance, registering for class, securing housing, etc.
    • Provide guidance and assistance around academic progress, financial aid, social-emotional well-being, and career exploration and readiness
    • Research and support Scholars in applying for and securing other post-secondary options such as work, trade, and workforce training programs; guide Scholars through the college and financial aid application processes
  • Support Scholars in preparing for college graduation and begin their careers
    • Advise and support Scholars in developing a plan for life after college graduation 
    • Provide feedback on resumes and cover letters; support Scholars in searching for and applying to graduate school, internships, and full-time employment opportunities related to their career interest
    • Connect Scholars to Steppingstone Alumni, and other supporters for informational interviews to help expand their networks
• Collaborate with the High School Success team in division transition activities such as coordinating orientations, reviewing financial aid, and jointly supporting high school seniors and families in making informed decisions for college enrollment
• Participate and organize post-secondary transition activities in the summer for rising college freshmen, ensuring that Scholars are completing enrollment tasks on time for the start of college
• Provide additional one-on-one support to other Scholars through a collective case management approach as-needed

Program Implementation

• Collaborate with the team to provide ongoing programming through small group facilitation, workshop development, coordination of events, and the management of other projects.
• Contribute to the ongoing development and dissemination of resources and opportunities relevant to Scholars through email, text, and social media to ensure they persist and are successful in college, and are prepared to begin their careers.
• Support the development of Scholars’ social emotional learning and foundational skills in a restorative community with high expectations
• Prepare for the administration and recruitment of, and participate in the selection of Steppingstone’s annual scholarship program
• With the assistance of program leadership, use effective systems to track and analyze student progress and program results, including a database and data-tracking tools. This includes entering qualitative and quantitative Scholar and family notes in Salesforce.
• Support the admission of new students and families to the Steppingstone Scholars Program

Requirements

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Demonstrated commitment to educational and racial equity in college access and success
• Knowledge of and experience supporting first-generation college students
• Exceptional relationship-building and group facilitation skills across different stakeholders
• Effective project management skills combined with initiative, flexibility, and problem-solving capabilities
• Orientation towards continuous learning for self and others, particularly within the field of college access and success, and career readiness
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Experience as an effective team member
• Preference given to candidates who are bilingual in Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Haitian Creole or Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese)
• Ability to make a minimum two-year commitment required. Two years allow Advisors to fully dive into our work and provide consistency for Scholars and families.

Education and Work Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required in a relevant field
• 2 years of experience working in college counseling or college advising preferred
• Experience using Salesforce a plus
• Successful experience working with high school and/or college students in an urban/multicultural setting

Physical Demands:

• Lifting up to 20 pounds, standing, walking, sitting, reaching, operating computer and office equipment 
• Pursuant to the ADA, Steppingstone will provide reasonable services and accommodation(s) to employees with qualified disabilities in order to perform the essential functions of their employment, except when doing so would be unduly disruptive and/or result in undue hardship to the organization. 

To Apply: Please input your resume and a thoughtful cover letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position, and how you learned about this position. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

As a condition of employment, all Steppingstone employees, including full-time, part-time, temporary and contract employees, and interns, must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. To be considered fully vaccinated, individuals must have received two doses of the approved Pfizer/Moderna COVID-19 vaccine or single dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, and remain up to date with all boosters recommended by the CDC prior to the finalization of the hiring process. Finalists will be given details about how to demonstrate receipt of vaccination.

Reasonable accommodations will be considered on a case-by-case basis for exemptions to this requirement in accordance with applicable law. Applicants should be aware that for external-facing roles, particularly those involving close contact with students, accommodations that involve remaining unvaccinated against COVID-19 may not be deemed reasonable. Steppingstone will engage in the interactive accommodation process on an individualized basis in light of each particular role.

Employee Benefits:

• Generous paid time off (over 8 weeks total, as outlined below)
• 15 days PTO
• 2 days Discretionary Time Off
• 5 wellness days
• 12.5 holidays
• 2 weeks paid office closure
• $500 Home Office Set-up Stipend; plus $50 quarterly
• Health, Dental and Vision coverage
• Life, Short-Term and Long-Term disability insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Tuition & Professional Development reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health and Dependent Care
• Pre-tax Transportation Plan (Transit & Parking)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Membership to the National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA)

Steppingstone Core Values

Power of One

• We honor every voice and believe we are strongest when we work together.
• We recognize, respect, and nurture the fullness and complexity of each member of our community.
• We believe in the power of belonging and seek to create a welcoming and inclusive culture.

Walk the Walk

• We partner with every Scholar and family, supporting them holistically throughout their own educational journey.
• We work with clear and measurable purpose, using data to drive collective decision-making and challenge assumptions.
• We create spaces for difficult conversations to transform our thinking and move us forward.

Embrace Growth

• We strive to operate as an anti-racist organization and commit to continuous learning and action in the service of this goal.
• We provide opportunities for everyone in our community to flourish and reach their full potential.
• We make time for reflection, learn from past experiences, and take initiative in response to changing needs and new ideas.

A candidate will be found unsuitable for employment with Steppingstone and automatically disqualified if they use threatening language or behavior either written, verbal, or physical during any phase of the interview process.

The Steppingstone Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any individual, employee, or application for employment on the basis of race, color, marital status, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or handicap, as defined by law.

Salary : $60,000