With the spring semester starting, the AVID program continues to help and benefit students of Oxford High School. AVID is a college readiness program that helps students get ready for the future ahead and teaches them strategies of success, qualities of a leader, self responsibility, and many other tools.
“AVID students explore real world problems,” AVID teacher Lauren Lauzon said. “They learn about things such as insurance, taxes, buying a house or a car, paying for college, and paying bills. These are invaluable lessons for the future. Furthermore, AVID helps students figure out what path they want to pursue after high school. Some students have that guidance at home and some do not. Having support or someone to bounce ideas off of when you are figuring out your future is important for a teenager to have.”
The earliest students can start in AVID is seventh grade, but can continue to take the course throughout high school. Taking the class at a younger age can give a foundation of what they need to know before coming to high school.
“I have been in AVID since I was in seventh grade,” junior Whitten Ellis said. “It has helped me be more organized and think about my future with college and a job. It has also pushed me to work harder in class and other activities outside of school.”
Preparation is a key part of this class. AVID creates high expectations for students that helps prepare them for the future regardless of the path they take in life.
“AVID prepares you for real life,” AVID member Garner Cassidy said. “It teaches you skills you will never get to learn in a normal class.”
After high school, most students pursue a secondary level of education, usually a college degree. AVID helps students think about where they want to go for college and what major they will choose, and how to reach those goals.
“Being a part of AVID helps me get ready for college and start to think about what I want to major in,” Ellis said. “I do not think I would be as prepared as I am now without this class.”
AVID is a well-liked class at OHS because it gives students the opportunity to learn and experience first-hand what they are interested in, regardless of what that may be. Whereas most students only get to hear about what college is like, AVID goes the extra mile to show students what college life is actually like.
“I like the college visits and how they show us campus life,” Cassidy said. “We also get to meet the professors and sit in college classrooms.”
AVID’s main goal is to support the Oxford School District’s mission in preparing all students for college and career readiness and success in a global society. The skills that students learn in this course are ones that set them up for success after graduation.
“The biggest steps we take are making sure students learn organizational skills, study skills, and everyday life skills students can use once they leave OHS,” Lauzon said. “AVID helps students think about their future long before senior year. We talk about what path is perfect for each student and how to ensure that student can be successful in his or her chosen path.”
