The ACE program — which is geared toward helping Black students at Owensboro High School prepare for college — has officially kicked off. ACE is a collaboration between Owensboro Public Schools, the Owensboro Black Expo, and Owensboro Community and Technical College.
Orientation for the program was held Thursday evening at Owensboro High School as the students prepared for the semester ahead of them.
Dracin Williams, a member of Black Expo, said that when he returned to Owensboro from Chicago he longed for a program that would mentor students in the area and challenge them to be academically and personally successful.
His connection with David Phillips, director of diversity, equity and inclusion for OPS, enabled Williams to start a partnership with the OPS system. He then connected with Sharmy Davis, director of cultural diversity for OCTC, that the group began to formulate.
Davis said that when she was in high school she didn’t have knowledge of all the things that were available and wished someone could have pulled her aside to show her. With this program, she hopes to provide that opportunity for today’s students.
“I’m very passionate about student success,” Davis said.
Since this is Phillips’ first semester in the position, he was excited to jump on board and help coordinate the schedules of the 20 students with College and Career Readiness Counselor Monica Rice.
The program will focus on preparation for college and exposing the students to the opportunities at OCTC and other neighboring colleges. They will meet monthly during the school day and be checked out during the morning to have their sessions, which cover topics such as financial aid, career counseling and preparation.
As of now the spring semester is not fully planned out but Davis said the dates should be finalized soon. While their orientation was Thursday, the first meeting for the program will be Sept. 23.
“Whether you’re a senior or a sophomore, we have enough time to help make sure that you’re on the right track,” Rice said. “Because when you leave here, we want you to be ready to go to OCTC for wherever else you may be heading.”
