MILWAUKEE — College Possible is one of the largest college access and success organizations in the country. They are committed to providing the tools, strategies, and support so that every student has the opportunity to succeed in college and achieve their degree.
"I would say that if anybody ever got a chance to join the program in high school, they should join it because I myself was already giving up on going to college," said Ebanda Ebasomba.
College Possible Wisconsin Participant
Ebasomba is a graduate of South Division High School. He joined College Possible Wisconsin his junior year and is currently studying Business Management at Milwaukee Area Technical College.
"They were always telling me the right things to do when I'm at school. They were always there," he said.
College Possible partners with public, private, choice, and charter schools to support students through high school and college. As a first-generation college student, Executive Director Marco Morrison understands what many students go through.
College Possible Wisconsin
"My Mom had no idea of what this process would require from her, and so it was a lot of a learning curve for the both of us," said Morrison.
Ebasomba says the program helped him apply for much needed financial aid. He moved to the U.S. with his family in 2019 and the road hasn't always been easy.
"Life is hard in Tanzania because there's no jobs down there. Especially, we used to live in a small village so there is no jobs...we have to depend on everything from the government," said Ebasomba.
He credits a lot of his academic success to his College Possible coach Connor Grossnickle. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering but decided to pivot his focus to help students like Ebasomba through this organization.
"I'm glad that I'm here to help him, but I think you know moving forward especially after some of the challenges he's already dealt with, he's going to succeed no matter what," said Grossnickle.
Coaches help identify goals, find resources and cheer students on along the way.
"I really appreciate knowing him. Like, I don't know, if there was a price to pay back for the help that he's given, I'd do so. But there's nothing I can pay back instead of saying thanks to him," said Ebasomba.
Once Ebasomba completes college he wants to return to East Africa to help make a difference in his Tanzanian village.
"I'm hoping that one day when I start my own business back there, I might can be able to change the village; able to have farms down there and help get people to start working," he said.
Watch: Empowering students on their path to a degree.
Ebanda is well on his way and he's here to remind everyone that college is possible!
"Try and study something, right there you have something to depend on for the rest of your life."
Fewer low-income students applied for college financial aid for the current school year after the rollout of an updated version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA.
To help students and parents, College Possible Wisconsin is offering their FAFSA Specialists to the general public through the end of September. For more information, click here.
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