Northeast High School College Support Specialist. | Photo courtesy of Northeast High School

Adriauna Barger

Editorial Assistant

As Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) gears up for another academic year, Northeast High School College Access Specialist  Brionna Taylor is already focused on what comes after high school — for her students, that is.

“I assist seniors, or pretty much all grade levels, with preparing for life after high school,” Taylor said. “Whether that’s college, trade school, military, workforce, apprenticeship — essentially, whatever they want to do, I’m here to support them in preparing for that.”

From exploring postsecondary options to submitting scholarship applications, Taylor works directly with Northeast High School students to help them find the right path. For those who feel unsure about whether to pursue college, a trade or another route entirely, she encourages them to take the first step by getting informed.

“If they are a KCPS student, getting a hold of their college access specialist is step one,” she said. “Or if they don’t have a [college access specialist] in their building, they can always contact their school counselor. But they can also go to different websites. For example, if a student is interested in a trade school, I would encourage them to go to a community college website, because that’s where a lot of your trade programs are hosted.”

Preparation for higher education, Taylor emphasized, can and should begin well before senior year.

“They can definitely start, even as eighth graders, going on college visits,” she said. “You can go with your school, you can go with your family. If you’re visiting a city, do a quick college visit. I encourage underclassmen to go ahead and create a list — up to at least 20 colleges — that they hear about and that have majors they’re interested in.”

When it comes to affording college, local, financial assistance resources are available.Taylor recommends sites like Great Jobs KC and the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, which seniors apply to during their final year. KCPS also maintains its own scholarship database. Other organizations, like the Hispanic Development Fund and Black Community Fund, offer opportunities specifically for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

While scholarships often require essays or additional application materials, Taylor warns students not to procrastinate.

“One of the biggest mistakes is waiting until the last minute to do things,” she said. “It’s best to go ahead and at least start brainstorming that essay — even if they don’t fully write it out. At least get an idea of what you want to write about.”

She advises students to break the essay down into manageable parts and to seek help from English teachers or their college access specialist.

“And make sure you’re keeping up with deadlines,” she added. “Those matter.”

When it comes to crafting a strong essay or personal statement, relevance is key.

“Whatever you’re talking about, make sure it’s actually responding to the prompt,” Taylor said. “We have a lot of kids that will write, but then what they write has nothing to do with the prompt. So just make sure you’re on task with whatever the prompt is asking.”

Taylor also noted that admissions officers look beyond test scores and GPAs.

“Colleges do look at your community involvement outside of just your academic things,” she said. “They look at extracurriculars because it shows them that you can be committed to something else. And if you have any leadership roles, it shows that you are a leader. So those commitments do have a positive impact on your applications — especially if you’re going to a four-year school.”

As for standardized testing, Taylor said the importance of ACT or SAT scores depends on where a student is applying.

“A lot of our students are wanting to go to those test-optional schools or schools that don’t require ACT at all,” she explained. “For instance, a community college might require the Accuplacer instead. But if a student is applying for a scholarship, the ACT might still be required.”

To help students navigate all these moving parts, KCPS offers multiple support systems within the high school.

“There is tutoring available for students, and they can receive support with their college application, FAFSA and scholarships,” Taylor said. “I’m a resource there, and we will also have an additional person from KC Scholars who will help students with those different resources.”

And Taylor shared that her passion for her role as a college access specialist is deeply personal.

“I love being able to support students as they progress onto whatever they want to do after high school,” she said. “I did not have this position when I was in high school. There was no one there to help guide me and walk with me along the way. So that’s what I do for my students — kind of be that arm-in-arm person walking them through the process.”