Sophomores Tiana Warner and Miles Harrison get homework help from AVID teacher Eric Perry. photo by Layne Ware
AVID helps TJ students organize their future plans
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a program that has supported many students at TJ by helping them prepare for college and beyond. It allows students to get the assistance that they need, whether it be for their classes, college, or a structured gap year. AVID teachers Eric Perry and Teresa Dwire-Elliott have been teaching the class for four years together. “Teaching AVID has been so fun and I love doing it, all the students in the class have made so much progress and seeing them excel is one of my favorite parts of the job,” mentioned Perry.
The average day in class consists of a homework or missing work check, discussing upcoming events such as field trips to colleges, and note-taking strategies to help in other courses. The class has held many fundraisers and activities to support the school and AVID. “I love being in AVID, this class has helped me out so much,” explained junior Amari Cleckley. Senior and AVID student Reche Mouwembe stated, “Without AVID, I wouldn’t have the two college scholarships that I have. I recommend this class to anyone not just if you need help in school.” AVID helps the students research colleges that they are interested in; freshmen usually visit one college and sophomores visit at least two schools including Metropolitan State University, Colorado State University, or University of Northern Colorado. Principal Mike Christoff supports AVID and wants the students to excel as far as they can and to “reach for the stars.” He believes that all the students in the class have benefited from it and have been guided to find the right college and future for them. “The stuff they teach in AVID doesn’t just apply to AVID. It really does carry over to other classes and on to college. College is a lot more self dependent than high school. In high school, you have people to lean on, while in college you only have yourself,” said Christoff.
Many students believe that without AVID, they would have fallen behind in school. Perry and Dwire-Elliott have supported their students all the way, and are not stopping; they will do anything to help their classes. AVID is a class that not only supports the students, but also supports the community, whether it’s through community service or preparing for the future.
