KIPP Through College & Career (KTC) hosted its annual KIPP Alumni Success Summit (KASS) last week. With more than 150 students and family members in attendance last Thursday, participants engaged in a variety of workshops and seminars designed to cultivate knowledge, skills, and strategies for success in college and careers. As the KTC team helps alumni and families navigate the academic, social, and financial challenges en route to success in college and careers, KASS continues to be a unique and vital aspect of the support students receive.
“KASS is a series of conversations, workshops, and moments of reflection for students to continue preparing for the choice-filled lives that we envision for them,” said LaMika Robinson, college & career support manager for KIPP Through College & Career. “It’s about providing them with the tools, resources, and insight to be able to conquer their dreams.”
This year’s summit shared the same date as Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and was a crucial theme of this year’s program she explained. “Each year we change the theme up to offer a fresh perspective to our students, and by building Juneteenth into our programming for this year, we wanted to juxtapose what it meant then and what it means now to be free. What does it mean for what I need to be doing for myself right now? What does it mean for me to be leveraging the available opportunities I have? How does what I’m doing now move me closer to my dreams and what I want in life?”
Seminars on networking and standing out during the job application process, to career insights through a panel discussion with experts from various industries, and even a workshop on the economic importance of credit management and home ownership were among the many opportunities available for alumni to learn from during last Thursday’s convening.
“All of the programs were insightful, but the one that stood out to me the most was the financial workshop,” recalled DeoVion, a rising junior at Howard University. “Things like credit were something I definitely knew about, but after attending the workshop, it made me look at its importance through a different lens.”
Antoine graduated from KIPP DC College Preparatory in 2014 and is beginning an internship with Capital One while also pursuing a certification in software development with an eye toward a career in IT and cybersecurity. He attended KASS this year and said the chance to hear directly from industry professionals was the highlight of his experience.
“The career and technical education panel really reinforced a lot of concepts I’ve been exposed to in the past, from staying driven and taking initiative, to the importance of networking.”
As KIPP DC alumni continue their respective journey’s through college and careers, KIPP Through College & Career remains committed to walking alongside our alumni and empowering them with the knowledge and resources needed for success, as exemplified by this year’s KIPP Alumni Success Summit.
