AVID is a four year committed elective and organization at many high schools across the country. AVID encourages students to challenge themselves in school while also preparing students for college. Candidate students are selected and interviewed before entering high school. AVID selects students who work hard but are still capable of challenging themselves even more academically while maintaining good grades. Just as AVID students are taught to take challenging courses, they are also taught organization skills such as note-taking, tutorials, grade checking, and cooperative learning.
How did AVID positively impact your life?
“Helped me complete work and stay focused” senior Angelica Michals said.
“It gave me a better experience for the future and prepared me for things I wasn’t aware of like how to pick the right college” senior Alexa Agrelo said.
Why did you choose AVID?
“I thought it was gonna be fun and my friends were also going to AVID ” senior Tin Pham said.
“I saw my friends wanting to join so I also joined. I thought it would positively impact my future ” senior Jake Voeller said.
What’s your favorite thing about AVID?
“When we get to do homework. If I’m ever stuck on homework, I get help in AVID.” senior Tin Pham said.
“The field trips. My favorite field trips we went on were Urbana and UIC” senior Jake Voeller said.
How do you think AVID benefits first gen students? It’s made for first gen students. A lot of high school students have to seek out picking colleges on their own just like when I was in high school, it was by chance that I saw a college campus. In AVID, this process is built in. In AVID at Niles North, 65% of students are first gen, but also at Niles North, 60% of students are first gen so getting students on campus changes everything for me. It’s about experiencing walking around on campus, seeing people, seeing people that look like you, and the sense of community. AVID gets students on 8-10 campuses through their high school years and I think that’s something every student should get to experience. The note-taking is really important and prepares kids on how to take notes in college and during lectures. Our discussions helps kids improve their confidence and teaches kids how to socialize with their fellow classmates and how to communicate with their professors, whether that be in class or out of class.
What do you notice about AVID students changes from freshman year in comparison to their senior year? So the freshmen are practicing the skill of questioning and note taking and it can feel like a chore for them. So there’s that resistance but that’s also where the seed is planted. What I see changing is confidence such as public speaking skills. Friendships come and go in high school, but people care for each other whether you’re friends or not in the AVID space. Whether there’s a fallout, there’s still that mutual respect and that grows over time. By the time you mature, you’re a junior and you’re in harder classes because that’s what’s expected of you and the note taking helps a lot so the complaining goes away and people just trust each other and respect each other more and even if you’re not best friends, you’re there to lift each other up. What I see is leaders emerge, people challenge themselves and take harder classes, take on leadership roles and show that they stand out in the Niles North community.
