The College Access Project: Creating College Success for Every Student

Two College of Education students in the Education Leadership and Policy Studies area have written and received a grant from the Hazel Miller Foundation. Ashley Patricia Ferrell, MEd student in Organizational and Policy Studies, and Mariah Moody, MEd student in Higher Education, wrote the grant to support the College Access Project, which aims to increase the percentage of first generation college-bound, low income, and under-represented students who will graduate from high school "college ready".

 “As a new organization, The Hazel Miller Foundation is looking to make a positive impact in education and other services throughout Edmonds and Snohomish County,” Ferrell explained. “When a participant in The College Access Project (TCAP) suggested we look into it, it appeared to be a perfect fit.”

The grant will support College Access Project students, which include fourth and fifth grade underrepresented students. All students are low-income, first generation college pipeline students. The grant will expand the College Access Project’s capacity to longitudinally track success with students and to establish an alumni association.

Ferrell and Moody both had backgrounds in the non-profit world, which they brought to bear in the grantwriting process and will use throughout the grant work itself. They both worked in program development, which entailed extensive community outreach along with data management.  They will use these skills to expand the College Access Project’s community base and to track the progressive growth. 

“This grant gives us the opportunity to not only maintain but also expand TCAP and the population we serve,” Moody elaborates. “We plan to create a parent network and a resource guide that allows us to better support the families that have successfully completed our program.”

Tom Halverson, faculty member in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and the Executive Director of the College Access Project, notes that this success is particularly notable since Moody and Ferrell took this on as an extracurricular project.

“This was a project that wasn’t directly related to class or coursework that Mariah and Ashley were pursuing,” Halverson explains. “They took this on because of their commitment to the organization and to the students and families that they would be serving. I admire their commitment to putting their energy where their mouths are in terms of bettering the lives of these students and having their work reflected in the community.”

Congratulations are due to Ferrell and Moody for their grant success. Click here to learn more about the College Access Project.