Brittany Cook ’15 spent the summer of 2013 working with high-achieving, low-income high school students at Higher Achievement Summer School in Alabama. HASS, founded in 2011 by Wooster alumni Justin Younker ‘10, helps its students become first generation college students through preparatory classes. Brittany taught an SAT/ACT vocabulary class and a novel study class to a group of about 12 high schoolers; she also performed logistical tasks to arrange field trips and college visits throughout her five-week internship.
HASS’s dormitory-style living for its students extended to include staff, so on top of her regular work schedule, Brittany also lived, ate, and socialized with her students nearly 24/7. To cover her room and board expenses, Brittany applied for an APEX fellowship.
APEX helped Brittany create an individualized fellowship application that took her unique experience into account. Although her internship was five weeks long, Brittany received funding because HASS’s program was so intensive and required significant preparation before the summer began. Brittany also used APEX resources such as resume clinics to send out a polished application. “Every time I’ve approached APEX with a question, I felt like I was given above and beyond what I asked for,” Brittany said.
By Madeleine O’Neill ’16