Charles Humphrey is hard pressed to name a relative who’s completed high school. No one in his home owns a car or computer.
But Charles, a senior at Harmon High School in the Kansas City, Kan., School District, has been accepted at three Kansas universities.
“Part of the reason I’m going to college is to show people in my family that some of us can make it,” he said. “I’m staying away from some really bad things. They’re not going to choose my fate. I’m the one who’s going to choose my fate.”
Harmon librarian Mary Sternshein, who is Charles’ adviser, says he’s a “never-say-no young man.” Charles is always available to manage a sports team or play a part in the school musical.
“He will help people in a culture where helping people is not the norm,” Sternshein said.
Charles also takes advantage of help when it’s offered.
He listens to Sternshein, who has trained herself in the college admissions process.
And since middle school, his class has been fortunate to work with counselors from Gear Up, a federally funded program that helps low-income and first-generation students prepare for college. Counselors visit Harmon weekly and Charles is a regular at their sessions.
Harmon provides Charles with a supportive structure. The school’s biggest failing, which district administrators say they are working to correct, is a curriculum that doesn’t adequately prepare students for the challenges of college work.
For Charles, the lack of rigor is reflected in low ACT scores. He’s had no opportunity to earn college credits through advanced placement or dual enrollment courses.
Charles’ task this spring is to come up with enough money to attend college in the fall.
He has been accepted at Kansas State University (his first choice), the University of Kansas and Pittsburg State University, and is thinking of majoring in pre-psychology.
With Sternshein, he’s tapping sources of aid available to first-generation college students. She’s also urging him to apply at community colleges, which are less expensive.
The academic and financial obstacles seem daunting, but Charles shrugs them off. It’s his fate, after all. And his future.
Join the discussion
Share your observations and experiences about news. Lively, open debate is the goal, but please refrain from personal attacks or comments that are racist, vulgar or otherwise inappropriate. If you see an inappropriate comment, please click the "Report as violation" link to notify a KansasCity.com editor. Thanks for your feedback.