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Margot Copeland of KeyBank Honored at Invest in Success Event
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College Now Board Chair, Alan Kopit; College Now CEO, Lee Friedman; College Now Board Member, Trina Evans, of KeyBank; Invest in Success Honoree Margot Copeland, of KeyBank; College Now Scholarship Recipient, Leah Hudnall; and Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon at Invest in Success
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College Now Greater Cleveland recognized Margot James Copeland for her commitment to education and her long-standing support of College Now at its fourth Invest in Success event on October 4. Invest in Success is an annual event that
allows College Now to recognize and acknowledge the impact of an individual on the organization and the community. More than 150 attendees heard from Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon and College Now scholarship recipient Leah Hudnall as they celebrated Ms. Copeland's achievements.
"We are thrilled to add Margot to this esteemed list of Invest in Success honorees," said College Now CEO Lee Friedman. "The need for increasing the educational attainment level in Greater Cleveland is critical; and community awareness has reached a fever pitch, thanks to the important work Margot does both through her work at the KeyBank Foundation and through her civic involvement. There are few people who rival Margot's passion for and commitment to education in Greater Cleveland. She is a partner in every sense of the word, and College Now is proud to work alongside her in our mission of increasing educational attainment."
Ms. Copeland serves as Executive Vice President and Director of Philanthropy and Civic Engagement at KeyBank. In her role, she also serves as Chair and CEO of the KeyBank Foundation. Her commitment to Cleveland's and KeyBank's philanthropic investments - in education, neighborhood prosperity, workforce development and community service - has made her a great supporter of College Now. In addition to her role at Key, Ms. Copeland serves as a trustee of Kent State University; the Cleveland Clinic; Say Yes to Education NY, NY; the Thomas White Foundation and the Kenneth Scott Foundation. She also serves as the 15th National President of The Links, Incorporated, and also a member of the Executive Leadership Council.
"I am deeply honored by this recognition," said Margot Copeland, CEO of KeyBank Foundation. "College Now is an organization that has truly impacted Northeast Ohio. Through their commitment and hard work, lives have been changed. It is a privilege to partner with them in helping communities thrive."
Special thanks to KeyBank for their support of this event.
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College Now is Looking for 350 New Mentors for the Incoming College Class of 2021!
 You are invited to mentor a college student from Cleveland
through College Now Greater Cleveland! Every year, College Now awards local students need-based college scholarships for the duration of their college career. Each scholarship recipient is also paired with a mentor to serve as a guide, sounding board and friend through his/her college journey. Currently, there are over 1,000 mentors in the program representing more than 400 area employers, and you are needed to join them next year!
The Mentoring Program pairs College Now Scholarship recipients with professionals in the Cleveland area. Mentors support their mentees throughout all four years of the students' college career by helping them navigate any obstacles they may face that will prevent them from graduating. The structure of the program is very simple and easy to fit into the busy schedules of both working professionals and college students. Throughout their time together, pairs are asked to exchange two messages a month through an online platform and meet at least three times a year. Mentoring Program staff provide guidance and reminders for communication and plan several events during the academic year to help pairs arrange in person meetings.
 The first four years of the program saw impressive results: 94% of mentored freshmen continued on to their sophomore year of college, compared to 58% of low-income students nationwide. This is due to the added support our students receive from mentors and College Now through the Mentoring Program. The time commitment is minimal (minimum of 2 hours per month), and the program is life-changing. To mentor, you must hold a college degree, pass a background check completed by College Now, and have reliable access to the Internet.
In the words of a current mentor, "[the program] has allowed me to make a friend that I not only can talk to about the little day to day experiences, but also be a part of some of the most defining years of her life. I've also learned a lot about myself and my own personal growth in the process; I can't recommend being a mentor highly enough!" Become a mentor, and change a life! Sign up at www.collegenowgc.org/mentor.
If you are already a mentor and/or supporter, you are one of our most effective recruitment tools! Please help spread the word to your network. If you would like help getting information to your friends or colleagues, contact Madeline Rife (mrife@collegenowgc.org or 216.635.0163) about scheduling an information session at your work place or community organization.
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Does the Early Bird Get the Worm? Breaking Down Early Decision and Early Action in College Admissions
We've all been told that "the early bird gets the worm," or been asked "why put off for tomorrow what you can do today?" This is good advice in many areas in life, and for some students, it also can be true of the college application process. There are two ways students can get the work and stress of college application season out of the way early: early decision and early action. In our
blog post, we define each plan and lay out the pros and cons so you can make the best decision possible.
Both early decision and early action allow students to apply to their first choice schools - and receive admissions decisions from those schools - early in the process. With early decision, students generally apply before Thanksgiving and know whether they've been accepted by Christmas. With early action, students also apply by Thanksgiving but do not hear whether or not they've been accepted until January or February - still early in the process. The most significant difference between early decision and early action is that if a student applies to a school early decision and is accepted, he or she must enroll in that school and withdraw applications sent to other schools, whereas if the student applies early action, he or she has until May 1 to decide where to enroll.
Read more about the pros and cons of early decision and early action as well as which students may benefit from these options.
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Bag Lady 2017 Officially Kicks Off
 College Now will hold its next Bag Lady event on October 6, 2017. This event, which occurs every other year, supports our mentoring program. Since its inception, the event has grown significantly. College Now raised $160,000 in 2013 and $360,000 in 2015. In 2017, we have set an incredibly ambitious goal of $500,000!
 The event features a silent auction of new and gently-used, high-end designer handbags, followed by a seated luncheon. New for 2017 will be a live auction of several amazing specialty experiences. Under the leadership of Event Chairs Rita Andolsen, Micki Byrnes and Trina Evans and a growing Host Committee, we are busy securing sponsors, collecting handbags and selling tables - over 30 so far.
 Interested in being a part of this fun event?
- Host a Bag Collection party
- Purchase a table
- Visit our Bag Lady wish list
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