February 18, 2024
WEST EDITION
Westside News Established 1953
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IILTON FAMILY DENTISTRY
February 18, 2024
Issue No. 7
westsidenewsny.com
Florida students trade sun for snow to earn college degrees Roberts Wesleyan University welcomes eight students from Florida farming community this year barriers helps get these students on campus; from there, it’s up to them to perform in the classroom.” To date, 244 Guadalupe Center alums have earned Sometimes, you must make a few sacrifices in college degrees and launched their careers in health pursuit of a dream. For Marc Dorcin, a resident of Immokalee, care, education, business, engineering, computer Florida, one of those sacrifices is foregoing 76-de- science, criminal justice and other fields. Over the gree weather in the heart of winter to study social past five years, the proportion of Immokalee adults with a bachelor’s degree has increased from 4.8% to work at Roberts Wesleyan University. Dorcin isn’t the only Immokalee native on cam- 7.7%. Meanwhile, the community’s poverty rate has pus, either. Eight students from that same small dropped from 43.4% to 28.4%. “Guadalupe Center is not the sole factor for those farming community are studying and living this year at Roberts, which established a partnership percentage swings, but it has delivered a jolt of several years ago with Immokalee-based Gua- energy to a community that for generations had dalupe Center. The nonprofit education provider educational attainment rates among Florida’s lowest offers a college-preparatory Tutor Corps Program and poverty rates among the highest,” Montecalvo All Ages Welcome that connects promising students like Dorcin with said. “We expect the pendulum to keep swinging educational opportunities to springboard their with a pipeline of talented students continuing their education in Rochester and other communities that careers. Participating Providers: areWegmans home to elite institutions.” “Immokalee is a small, lowEmployees - 2023-24 academic During the income community where many • Same Day Give us a call, year, 160 Guadalupe Center stustudents are the children of CEREC Dentistry we have dents are you on campuses nationwide farmworkers, day laborers and covered. • Dental Implants pursuing college degrees, and 125 hospitality workers,” said Dawn • Sleep Apnea Devices high school students are on the Montecalvo, president and CEO path toward higher education. of Guadalupe Center. “Education About one-third of Tutor Corps opens the doors to endless posgraduates attend out-of-state sibilities and offers www.hiltonfamilydentistry.com students an institutions, including the eight opportunity to pursue the career students at Roberts. For Dorcin, of their dreams, and our goal is the decision to attend Roberts to create a cycle of prosperity in boiled down to the best opportuImmokalee instead of continunity on the table, winter weather ing the cycle of poverty that has and all. persisted for generations.” “I was offered an opportunity to The Tutor Corps Program be in the Global Honors Program provides college and career readihere, and I wanted to explore a difness programs, ACT and SAT test ferent environment from the comprep, mentorships, financial literacy and scholarship assistance, Marc Dorcin traded Florida sunshine munity where I was raised while learning how to be independent,” as well as wages for tutoring for the opportunity to study at Roberts said Dorcin, a 21-year-old junior younger students. The program Open House was born in Haiti and moved has an incredible 100% college Wesleyan. Provided photo. Saturdays who to Florida in 2010 to escape devasacceptance rate. 12-2pm or byby appointment. tation caused a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. 237 Collamer As for the winter inRd. Upstate New York? Bringing Florida students to Rochester We areausing this house as aup in the mornings, “It’s struggle to only wake A combination of scholarships from Roberts and model to show the spectacular when you have work an 8 a.m. class,” Dorcin Guadalupe Center, along with grants and work especially Reger Construction does to think customabout what’s motivat“But then you study programs, cover nearly all expenses, which admitted. yourand home. All plans be modiing you where youcan want to be in the future, and include tuition, room and board, books, fees and build fied to your specifications. incidentals. Both organizations connect students I think about my mom and my sister. That always We are taking reservations for the with generous donors to make sure students have motivates me to get out of bed and go to class.” spring on the next 5 lots. a laptop, dorm room essentials and school supplies, We do our best to make your An opportunity to learn, as well as winter clothing and warm blankets. experience stress-free and grow createdDon’t its Office of Diversity and Belonging “The cost of college, not academic ability or ambi- Roberts pleasurable. miss out. tion, is what prevents many students from pursu- to promote a campus culture where all people are ing a degree,” said Jorge Perez, college director safe, valued and empowered. Through its robust of the Tutor Corps Program. “Removing financial recruitment initiatives, including the partnership by Amanda Harley
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Roberts Wesleyan welcomed eight students from the Immokalee community through a partnership with the Guadalupe Center. Provided photo.
with Guadalupe Center, the under- workout of resources. As athat social worker, I Women’s Tabata style graduate population continues to would be able to help people get the focuses on toning butts &they guts! diversify. resources need.” “The culture in Western New York is very different from the culture in Southwest Florida,” said Rebecca Draper, an assistant professor of social work who serves as Roberts’ faculty liaison to Guadalupe Center. “Guadalupe Center students, like all students, bring different life experiences to campus, and these unique perspectives and voices help everyone learn from one another.” After earning degrees, a few students have started their careers in New York City, Chicago and other metropolitan areas, but many return home to Immokalee and surrounding communities. Dorcin already is eyeing a return to Southwest Florida. “Coming back to the community would allow me to serve the community that gave me a positive direction,” Dorcin said. “In a small farming town, you don’t have access to a lot
“Around town, you’ll run into young adults who went away for college and returned, and are now working as doctors, nurses, teachers, financial advisors, social workers, business owners and other professionals,” added Daniel Martinez, high school director of the Tutor Corps Program and a former Tutor Corps student himself who attended the University of Florida in Gainesville before returning to Immokalee. “Education is creating a cycle of prosperity and brightening possibilities for students and their families. It’s helping an entire community climb out of poverty.”
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