Launch to College Prepares Students for Life on Campus

“One of the most best resources I received my senior year was Launch to College,” said Alyssa Nettles, an alumna of Ánimo Watts College Preparatory Academy. Launch to College is an annual culminating event where college-bound seniors from all Green Dot high schools in California come together to connect with other seniors attending the same universities, and to learn more about their imminent transition to college.

During her senior year at the Launch to College event, Nettles met six students from various Green Dot high schools who were attending historically black colleges and universities as well. “Though we were strangers when we met, our relationship quickly grew and we have been able to share our struggles and successes,” recalled Nettles. “It's been amazing to know that although you may be far from home, you’re not alone.”

We know that getting to that first day of the second year of college is the pivotal milestone that can mean the difference between a student earning a degree and dropping out of college. Among our 2015 graduating class, 82 percent of those who enrolled in a four-year college persisted to their second year. It’s our belief that by providing our soon-to-be Green Dot alumni with an existing network of support in their freshman year, students are more likely to complete college.