If you are lost or simply heading in the wrong direction, one of the best places to go would be to the Success Coaches. The Success Coaches, Virginia Herrera and Susan Peterson, are there to help students with a number of problems, ranging from schoolwork to problems at home. They are here to help you get back on track.
“We’re a positive adult connection who’s not giving out homework or disciplining them,” Peterson said.
The Success Coaches program has been in Albert Lea for two years and is funded by an international grant given by the Department of Education. The Success Coach program has been around for a few years and has become popular in many schools, even around the Minnesota area. Albert Lea stole the idea from Austin whose Success Coaches have been there for around four years.
The Success Coaches are there to help out students. They can work with tutors, parents, or motivators. Their job is to make you feel welcome with a positive space where you can tell them your problems. They work with a mixture of issues, ranging from low income families, buses and problems at home or with friends. They are there for the students to help them overcome these problems and return their focus back on to school.
“We’re on the kids’ side,” Peterson said.
The Success Coaches’ office is located in the Media Center, but their hours are only 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. This gives the students only a short amount of time to meet with and discuss their problems with one of the two Success Coaches. This short amount of time may cause some distress in the students’ lives, considering most students are often in class during the school day. There is the choice of coming during a study hall, which most of the students do.
The Success Coaches also have created the Multicultural Club. The Multicultural Club has students from different back rounds and different races coming together to learn about a new country, to become better educated in that countries ways and traditions. The Multicultural Club is open for anyone who wants to learn more about other cultures or who like to cook or do art activities.
Ultimately, it’s the students’ personal choice whether to go to the counselors’ office, to the Success Coaches, or simply not talk about their problems. The Success Coaches would have more time to talk with the students, which means more time to help fix the problems. The Success Coaches are less busy and are never completely booked. Students can simply walk right into the Success Coaches’ office and be instantly welcomed.