July 2018 Sweepstakes Survey Results

by | Jul 31, 2018 | Family Blog

Thank you for participating in our July $100 sweepstakes! A total of 68 parents submitted their answers to enter the drawing.

This month’s sweepstakes winner is Nicole West of Boston. Nicole’s daughter, Briana, is a rising high school freshman living in Boston. Nicole attends Learning Circles through the Boys and Girls Club. Originally from Barbados, Nicole attended Simmons College for her undergrad degree and Lesley University for her Master’s. College has always been in the plan for Briana, and Nicole is determined to save enough money for her daughter to have the brightest possible future.

Nicole found out about Inversant through the Boys and Girls Club. She was initially interested in the program because she wanted to continue saving money for Briana’s education. The match aspect of the program also enticed her, along with the informational workshops because Nicole wanted to be better prepared to send Briana to college. Prior to joining Inversant, Nicole had already taken the initiative to begin saving for Briana’s education through a 529 Savings Plan.

Nicole wisely puts a lot of emphasis and importance on being prepared for the future. Because Briana is only going to be a freshman in high school this fall, Nicole has been trying to prepare herself and her daughter for the next few years as early as possible. Nicole “likes to be ahead of the game and have knowledge of what’s going on before she actually gets there.” Nicole’s favorite Learning Circles are the ones where she learned about the Common Application, scholarships, and loans. She also appreciated hearing from senior parents so she could understand more of the college application process and what she can expect in the coming years.

Because Nicole has obtained multiple degrees on her own, she understands first-hand how crucial it is for her daughter to be college-educated. Nicole believes that having a degree is important because it “gives you opportunities to progress and affords you more opportunities, leading to promotions you may be interested in.” Her daughter wants to follow in her footsteps and has begun to think about what kind of college she wants to attend. Briana would like to go to a HBCU, but acknowledges that this may change as she’s only a freshman. She’s thinking about minoring in dance, and Nicole has advised her to have a backup plan as well if her plans ever change.

Nicole has been involved with the Learning Circles for a year, and has learned a lot of new information. She’s proud of herself for already saving for her daughter’s college education, even though it’s still a few years away. Nicole’s advice for other families is to start saving as early as possible. “The later you start, there’s more pressure. Starting early gives you more time and it’s more manageable, especially if you’re overwhelmed with other expenses. If you put in just a little bit at a time, it adds up, and then your student is ready to get through college.” Nicole’s proudest moment with Inversant is when she learned that students had to pass the MCAS exams in 10thgrade. When she told her daughter this information, she didn’t believe her mother, but she later learned that her mother was correct. Nicole told her daughter, “I learned that in my Learning Circle!”

Don’t miss your chance to win the next $100 sweepstakes! You have until August 31 to submit your answers to August’s survey. E-mail [email protected] if you have not received our newsletters or sweepstakes surveys. For more details, please visit www.inversant.org/sweepstakes.

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