On Wednesday October 24, AAFE and Flushing High School celebrated the opening of the College and Career Pathways Center. For the past four years, we have been working in partnership with this historic public high school to improve college readiness, student leadership, parent engagement, and career preparation. The College and Career Pathways Center is the culmination of this work, and will serve as a college and career resource for the school’s 3,400 students and their families for many years to come.
The oldest public high school in New York City, Flushing High School prepares its students to graduate with the essential and critical skills required for post-secondary and career success, and a well-developed concept of civic responsibility. At the College and Career Pathways Center, Asian Americans for Equality and Flushing High School will provide the following in-depth services for students and parents: college counseling; peer-based college assistance; counseling on financial aid and scholarships; events with college and career representatives; service learning opportunities; and school engagement support for parents.
“Asian Americans for Equality is proud to work with Flushing High School and partner with the administration on the creation of this College and Career Pathways Center,” said Christopher Kui, executive director of Asian Americans for Equality. “Our organization is committed to investing in neighborhood schools because they play a vital role in community development. We are excited that students and parents will be able to take advantage of this resource to make informed decisions about college, explore careers and get excited about their futures.”
“On behalf of the community at Flushing High School, I am grateful to AAFE for its tireless work on behalf of our students and am proud of the work that we have done together these past four months in creating the new College and Career Pathways Center, remarked Magdalen Radovich, principal of Flushing High School. “This demonstrates our ongoing joint commitment to finding new ways to support the post-secondary and career success of our graduates.”
Youth leader Samuel Chan said, “This College and Career Pathways Center shows students and parents that our school cares about our future. I have been part of AAFE’s youth program for 3 years now and as one of the new Youth Leaders, I am excited to apply the leadership skills I have learned to help my peers at the school.”
The ribbon cutting was attended by elected officials, civic and business leaders, community-based organizations, school administration, teachers, parents and students. The College and Career Pathways Center is made possible by support from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) of New York City, Deutsche Bank of Americas Foundation, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, Capital One Bank, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, and HSBC.
AAFE would like to thank Principal Magdalen Radovich, Assistant Principal of Pupil & Personnel Services Patricia Cuti, College Advisor Maria Berber YABC, Assistant Principal of Organization Jack Schwarz, Parent Coordinator Mary Vacarr, Custodial Engineer Scott Kruse and all Flushing High School staff who make this partnership successful. We also appreciate YABC Director Andy Szeto for his generous support. Young Adult Borough Centers (YABCs) are evening academic programs designed specifically to meet the needs of high school students who might be considering dropping out because they are behind or because they have adult responsibilities that make attending school in the daytime difficult.
