Bilingual College Access Coordinator

Founded in 2001, First Graduate’s mission is to help students become the first in their families to graduate from college, ready to pursue careers that are meaningful to them. Through academic support and instruction, high school and college counseling, individualized coaching, and career exploration, First Graduate engages young people from 7th grade through college graduation. We provide our students with the long-term support that their more well-off peers receive so that they can become competitive high school and college candidates.

Position Overview

We seek a dedicated and responsible College Access Coordinator to be on-site at Lowell High School and at the First Graduate office. The College Access Coordinator plays a critical role in achieving First Graduate’s mission by ensuring our students have the information, guidance, and support they need to be strong candidates for college acceptance. The College Access Coordinator will work with a dedicated team of advisors to offer regular check-ins with students individually and in small group settings, create and facilitate workshops for students and caregivers on best practices for college preparation, and support event planning. Reporting to the Program Manager and working closely with other team members and the Lowell High School team, the College Access Coordinator must possess excellent communication, problem-solving, and project management skills. The ability to stay organized and manage multiple students on a caseload and multiple projects is a must. For this position, we seek a program coordinator who can communicate effectively with Spanish-speaking caregivers.

Specific Responsibilities

• Recruitment of new First Graduate students to join the Lowell First Graduate Cohort Program
• Advise a caseload of First Graduate students. Advising will include ensuring students know the best practices in college preparation, giving social-emotional and wellness support, and supporting the students in their problem-solving and goal-setting processes.
• Holding drop-in open office hours for any student seeking college and/or financial aid support.
• Meeting with families and students to support them in understanding financial aid, the college application process, and building a college-going culture.
• Communicating college application and financial aid information to caregivers and students in English and Spanish.
• Keeping detailed advising and case notes
• Support in the training of Advising Associates and Interns
• Oversee weekly meetings and possibly supervise intern(s)
• Planning and facilitating workshops that provide cohorts of students with best practices in college preparation
• Planning and execution of First Graduate events, which may include college tours, career days, and student conferences
• Provide input on programmatic and strategic planning for the Program Team and for First Graduate
• Maintain productive working relationships with Lowell High School, and may include various high schools, other CBOs, and donors
• Develop content for the high school website

Minimum Qualifications

• Fluent in English and Spanish
• At least 2 years of experience in college advising
• Knowledge of and experience in the college application processes for California Community College, CSU system, UC system, and Common Application
• Knowledge of and experience with FAFSA, Dream Application, and other scholarship applications
• Knowledge of and experience with interpreting financial aid award letters for students and families
• Experience working with diverse student populations
• Experience managing multiple projects and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written

Additional Requirements

• Employment is contingent upon clearance of a criminal background check through the FBI and CA Department of Justice and the National Sex Offender Public Website.
• All potential employees must obtain and submit the results of a current TB test.

Work Site Locations

• The College Access Coordinator will be on-site at Lowell High School and at the First Graduate office.