Today we’d like to introduce you to April Tillett.
Hi April, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My mom is an immigrant and my dad is a military veteran. Both of my parents didn’t pursue college and provided me with numerous opportunities to prepare me for that opportunity. When I enrolled at UT Austin, I decided to pursue a degree in Psychology because I wanted to be a forensic psychologist. Think Dr. Huang from the earlier episodes of Law & Order: SVU. Four years later, I graduated with the degree, but like some undergrads, did not have the same desires from when I began college. I began a role as a College Adviser at a Title 1 high school through the College Advising Corps. I quickly learned about the disparities that these students faced when pursuing a college degree, I wanted to do more to assist these underrepresented students. Shortly after my role with Advising Corps, I became an Admissions Counselor for a private university. I recruited the same population of students and felt more inclined to get further involved in what appeared to be a systemic issue. Students from underrepresented groups were failing at college – either by enrolling and being forced to drop out because of financial or personal challenges or just didn’t have that supportive figure to keep them persevering. I decided to pursue my Masters in Social Work to advocate for vulnerable populations.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Graduate School was tough in itself! I worked a full-time job for most of it and took a full-time load (3 classes) for two years. Let me tell you it is not for the faint at heart. However, I really enjoyed being busy. I had missed the hustle and bustle of undergrad so much that although I was sleep-deprived, missing travel, and barely had a social life, it was worth the sacrifice.
My biggest obstacle now is living in the moment. I am CONSTANTLY thinking about the next thing – next project for work, next gathering, next trip, next challenge I need to conquer – and it gets really exhausting. I am challenging myself to live in the moment and practice mindfulness or to be fully present and aware of what you are doing. If I could just bask in the moment, I would fully enjoy every part of what this moment entails. I’m still new at it, but I’m practicing living in the moment and utilizing myself care tactics when the thought of “What’s Next?” comes creeping in. If you are like me and battle with the thought that you are not doing enough, trust me, YOU ARE! Live in your moment fully and don’t let the thought of moving to the next chapter, keep you from experiencing the NOW.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Currently, I serve as Program Director with ScholarShot. ScholarShot is a college completion program that provides first-generation students with financial assistance, academic advisement, and emotional support. Our Scholars are matched with an Academic Manager – marriage between a caseworker and academic adviser – who focus on assisting with registering for classes, reviewing degree plans, referring to resources, accountability, budgeting, professional growth, and providing emotional support. Our Academic Managers are the difference makers in keeping these students enrolled and graduated. We are proud of their efforts and currently sit at over 90% of our first-generation Scholars graduating on time (1-2 years for vocational degree; 2-3 years for an Associate degree & 4-5 years for a Bachelor’s degree) and with little to no loan debt.
When I began with ScholarShot. I was an Academic Manager and worked with 50 college students. I thoroughly enjoyed building meaningful relationships with each of my Scholars. How cool it was to watch them evolve from a fresh adult ready (but nervous) to take on the demands of college to a college graduate finding his/her place in the workforce! My relationships are so strong with my former students that we still meet up for lunches and dinners! They are my peers now, working and navigating adulthood just like I am! It’s truly a rewarding feeling!
In my current role, I am responsible for managing our Mentor Program and Community Partnerships. I have the pleasure of meeting individuals and groups from major companies in North Texas and telling them all about the goodness of our program & our amazing students! Once I share how our program helps our students and why we do the work we do, it is easy to capture the interests of our volunteers. Our volunteer mentors encourage students, support students, and provide insight into their careers. They serve as an extra pair of eyes and ears for their matches and provide their own insight and experiences to help us keep the students enrolled. A graduated student instantly changes the trajectory of their entire family.
Additionally, I work with Corporate Partners to provide professional development opportunities to our Scholars. These range from career panels with their team members to discuss individuals’ college to career journeys; visiting the company HQ to learn about the day-to-day operations and even internship and employment opportunities. Since I have become Program Director, I have successfully facilitated over two dozen career events and managed 100 mentors that represent 25 companies. I’m so proud to do such meaningful work.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I posed for a hair magazine when I was 15. It was funny because I NEVER wore makeup and I was an athlete so I was unrecognizable in these photos. It was fun because I had a desire to model when I was much younger and I was able to see a glimpse of what that life was like. However, that desire subsided and was replaced by track and field. What’s even funnier is that my brother found that hair magazine at a barber shop in Fort Worth about a year ago.
Image Credits
DCEO
D Magazine
