Wallace TRIO and ACTs Test Prep partnered for a second bootcamp just in time for the October ACT. We met lots of new students, some who had wanted to attend the summer bootcamp but couldn't because of scheduling conflicts. Several students were about to spend a generous amount of money and commute to Birmingham for ACT tutoring when they learned of the TRIO bootcamp scholarships. Chris and I were both thrilled to see so many eager students ready to work hard to prepare for college! What a great experience!

Our first bootcamp was a huge success! We gathered with the students and their parents for wrap-up night with food and speakers to congratulate our kids. This is the article describing that night:

Wallace State's TRIO Talent Search wrapped up their first-ever ACT bootcamp with a celebration on Thursday night. Around forty local students spent three grueling weeks preparing for the July ACT with Kim Cole and Chris Howse. 

Proud parents showed up to hear Mechelle Baker speak about the requirements for Wallace's Nursing program. Most programs welcome everyone and have little or no entry requirements, but Wallace's health care programs require a minimum of 18 on the ACT. Not all applicants are accepted, even with the minimum score and a good GPA, because class sizes are limited. Mrs. Barnes stressed the importance of good ACT scores to ensure acceptance into competitive programs and four-year colleges.

Wallace Success Coach Coordinator Christine Wiggins came to congratulate the students on their hard work and wish them luck on Saturday's test. She also spoke about the importance of the ACT scores, but at the same time, encouraged the students to see it as a necessary trial and not a reflection of them as a person.

Kristi Nyquist gave the most touching talk of the night when she explained how Talent Search empowers students to attend college who might otherwise get lost in the maze of college and scholarship/grant applications. Talent Search is a free program for Cullman County students that takes them on college tours all over North Alabama, helps fill out college applications, and assists students in locating and applying for scholarships and grants to pay for college.

Chris Howse was a keynote speaker at the AEA Conference in Montgomery last Friday night. He talked about Fairview High School's rise from a 'D' school to a 'B' school on the strength of their ACT scores. Check our social media feeds for the full story!

This month's AEA Journal has a nice write-up about Chris Howse's presentation at the AEA Huntsville Conference last January. Read the article here.

Twenty students came out on a cold Tuesday night to learn from Kim Cole how to increase their ACT science scores. Half were high school students and the other half were Wallace State Community College students who need certain scores to be accepted into programs like Nursing. Two of these were older ladies who are going back to school after being out for quite a few years. The group had a great energy and was wonderfully enthusiastic! ​