Thank you for participating in our May $100 sweepstakes! A total of 50 parents submitted their answers to enter the drawing. Check out what parents learned from the newsletter.
Congrats to our May Sweepstakes Winner,
Karen Alba!
This month’s sweepstakes winner is Karen Alba of Revere. Karen has one child of her own, but is active with Inversant for her grandson, Robert, who is a rising senior at Revere High. Karen is originally from Revere, and attended Boston University for her undergraduate and Northeastern University for her graduate degree. The process of applying to college has changed a lot since she last attended, and she wanted to attend learning circles to understand every aspect of college and its costs today.
Karen found out about Inversant when she attended a parent meeting at Revere High School at the beginning of the school year. She was initially interested because of the financial literacy aspect, but she wanted to be as knowledgeable as possible about the college application processes and college preparation. Karen’s favorite learning circle so far has been when she learned how to complete the FAFSA application and how to fully comprehend the financial aid package.
Before joining Inversant, Karen was saving on her own for her children and grandchildren through a personal savings account, but the savings incentives Inversant offered were a great motivator for her to sign up for our program. Karen’s grandson, Robert, has always wanted to attend college so the family has been researching different options and has gone on tours in the area, such as UMass Boston, Salem State University, and Wentworth Institute of Technology. Both Karen and Robert are beginning to understand the costs of attending college today. Robert has shown some concern, asking, “It’s so expensive, how are we going to afford it?” But Karen knows they’ll find a way through their savings, scholarships, and grants saying “I want Robert to apply to multiple schools so he doesn’t limit himself to only in-state schools.”
Karen understands the importance of college in today’s economic climate. As someone who has obtained multiple degrees herself, she knows first-hand how crucial it is to be college-educated. When asked why she thinks college is so necessary, she answered, “The chances of getting a successful career are greater if you attend college than if you just get a high school diploma. Some people get lucky, but not everyone.”
Robert is currently planning on entering college with an undecided major, but Karen is supportive because she is aware that many students eventually change their path during or even after college. She has valuable advice for other families: “The earlier you start saving, the more money you’ll have for college and it won’t be such a burden.”
Don’t miss your chance to win the next $100 sweepstakes! You have until June 30 to submit your answers to June’s survey. E-mail [email protected] if you have not received our newsletters or sweepstake surveys. For more details please visit www.inversant.org/sweepstakes.