February, 2024
By Nelly Mercado, Editor-in-Chief
Two panel presentations, one stage, the first is for current QuestBridge students, and the second is for QuestBridge Alumni, who are answering questions about lessons that teachers should take from their experiences.
QuestBridge is a non-profit organization that offers various programs, such as the College Prep Scholars, the Quest for Excellence Awards, and the National College Match Program. KAC students ranked in the top 30 in their class are encouraged to apply their senior year to the National College Match program for a full ride to top-ranked institutions such as MIT and Stanford.
This year, four QuestBridge alumni who graduated from KIPP Austin Collegiate were invited to talk about their college experience with KIPP teachers and staff members. The alumni panel consisted of Lizeth Moctezuma, who attends Washington and Lee University; Ailin Mendoza, and Laura Arellano, who attend The University of Pennsylvania; and Francisco Morales, who attends Pomona College. They shared their stories as QuestBridge Scholars, the challenges they faced in college, and the advice they have for KIPP teachers. “It was an absolute delight to see our alumni—to see Francisco, Lizeth, Ailin, and Laura. All of them have made us so proud, and it’s clear how much they’ve grown in college. They were so well-spoken and even courageous in their presentations.”
According to KAC College Counselor Ingrid Fragoso, who invited the panelists, “The goal for inviting QuestBridge alumni was to provide an insight into their college experience, knowing that the financial barrier was removed. As KIPP is continuing to improve as a school we must learn how we can be better as an organization. This starts by listening to our students and understanding what academic and socio-emotional barriers they still face and how we as teachers can think about ways that we can work to build up the skills needed for students to be even more successful in college,” she said.
The lack of rigor and unlimited opportunities that KIPP gives their students arose as a main subject of discussion by the panel. The alumni agreed that while the guidance and support that KIPP provides comes with good intentions, they felt that it obstructed their ability to meet the demands and expectations of college. “Francisco in particular impressed all of the teachers by being 100% honest about the need for more rigor in our Advanced Placement classes and saying that he didn’t feel that the work that he did in high school completely prepared him for what he faced at an elite college. said KAC writing instructor Dr. Franklin Strong. “They have learned the hard way what it’s like to do homework and know that a deadline is a deadline,” said college counselor at KAC, Ingrid Fragoso. “They encouraged teachers to give out more homework and to differentiate for students that may want to be pushed more instead of differentiating only for the students that are not grasping the material.”
“One of the things that they talked about was the cultural struggles that they faced moving into college a lot of students are moving into majority white universities where everybody around them does not share their cultural background, and both Lizeth and Ailin talked about how this was new for them and they felt like it was a struggle, but something that they’ve also overcome,” said Dr. Franklin Strong.
Fragoso says this was the first year that QuestBridge Scholar alumni returned and participated in a panel to give KIPP teachers insight into their college experience, but she hopes it becomes a tradition. “I do think this is something incredibly insightful for teachers, so hopefully we can make a new tradition out of this year.”
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