We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all who supported, sponsored, attended, and donated to our 10th Annual Celebration Dinner! We truly are blessed to be surrounded by so many people who believe in our students and mission. If you couldn’t attend, there is still an opportunity to contribute to the event. Please click here to donate online today.  To donate by mail, please send a check made payable to “ACCESS Academies” and notate “Dinner Scholarship Fund.” Our address is 3500 Lindell Blvd., Fitzgerald Hall – Room 211, St. Louis, MO 63103.  For additional questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Click HERE for Party Pictures from Ladue News. Click HERE for Party Pictures from Town & Style Magazine

LOUIS, MO. May 24, 2018 –ACCESS Academies is thrilled to welcome Pat Erb and Anja Schmelter to the Board of Directors. They will be introduced to organizational supporters at the ACCESS Academies Celebration Dinner on June 6^th at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis.

Pat Erb, most recently Director of Marketing at Nestle Purina Pet Care, has led marketing strategy, product innovation and communication for multiple key business units for over 25 years. She received her Master of Science in Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Service from Saint Louis University and a Master of Business Administration from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville.

Anja Schmelter is the outgoing Director of Admissions at St. Louis University High School where, for the last eight years, she has led marketing and admissions efforts helping attract diverse and talented students from across the St. Louis region. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Notre Dame and her Master of Business Administration from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

As board members, they will join current leadership to oversee the strategic growth of the organization, including the addition of a new academy at Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School in East St. Louis opening this fall, and enhancing our Graduate Support Program to provide mentoring, advocacy, counseling, and support through college for our graduates, the majority of which are first-generation collegians.

Since 2005, ACCESS has partnered with schools serving high-poverty populations to propel low-income, first-generation students from middle school, through high school, and into college and career success. Our academies offer over 35 extended day enrichment programs, and a Summer Academy program, and are currently located in Most Holy Trinity Catholic School & Academy, St. Cecilia School & Academy, and St. Louis Catholic Academy. Moreover, ACCESS partners with over 20 area private, college-preparatory high schools to provide high school tuition assistance, work-study programs, guidance counseling, ACT test prep and testing, and college application and essay services for our Academy graduates.

To date, ACCESS has positively impacted more than 1,100 students in the St. Louis region. Ninety-eight percent of our graduates have been accepted to private, college-prep high schools; 99 percent graduate high school on-time; and 96 percent are accepted to colleges, universities, or other post-secondary institutions.

For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Public Relations for ACCESS Academies, by calling (573) 268-0639 or emailing [email protected].

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PATH TO SUCCESS: ACCESS ACADEMIES
May 11, 2018 | By: Alexa Beattie

For many young people, middle school can be a challenging time. When there’s poverty in the mix, these pivotal years can be harder still. But since its inception in 2005, ACCESS Academies has been a guiding light for more than 1,100 students, steering them through middle and high school and on to college. A vast majority of the students ACCESS takes under its wing are eligible for free or reduced lunch (a federal indicator of poverty), are first in their families to plan for college, and attend one of three local Catholic middle schools serving high-poverty populations. “We wrap our arms around the students and their families,” says Nick McDowell, graduate support director at Most Holy Trinity Catholic School and Academy. “By supporting these children in three key ways, we provide opportunities they otherwise would not have.”

By that, McDowell means the nonprofit’s three-pronged approach: after-school enrichment, counseling by a graduate support director and high school scholarships. He notes that in 2017 alone, ACCESS awarded more than $618,000 to 238 students, allowing them to attend more than 20 private college-prep high schools like St. Mary’s, Bishop DuBourg, Notre Dame, Chaminade, Villa Duchesne, Nerinx Hall and Christian Brothers College. “The application process for high school and college can be very rigorous and overwhelming,” McDowell says. “But we empower families by being a supportive presence every step of the way.” He adds that ACCESS covers ACT test prep, educational testing and college application costs, and notes that since 2005, 96 percent of ACCESS students have gained admittance to colleges, universities and other post-secondary schools.

All in all, the nonprofit makes a seven-year commitment to its students, beginning in sixth grade. But McDowell stresses that the support doesn’t end with college acceptance. He reports that ACCESS is in the process of hiring a college and career counselor whose primary role will be mentorship through the college years and into employment. “The bond we form with our students is very strong,” says McDowell, who oversees 48 middle-schoolers at Most Holy Trinity and 42 students at area high schools. “They are like family.”

McDowell also says ACCESS will expand its reach when it opens a new academy at Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School in East St. Louis in the fall. The other schools under the ACCESS umbrella are Most Holy Trinity and St. Louis Catholic Academy in North St. Louis and Saint Cecilia School and Academy in South City.

On June 6, ACCESS Academies holds its biggest fundraiser, the 10th annual Celebration Dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel. The event raises money to support high school tuition scholarships. The organization commits its scholarship support for all four years of high school.

ACCESS Academies partners with urban middle schools to prepare students for success in high school, college and beyond through enrichment, guidance counseling and scholarships. It hosts its annual Celebration Dinner June 6 at the Four Seasons. Pictured on the cover: Graduate support director Nick McDowell and principal Jessica Kilmade with past, present and future ACCESS Academies students at Most Holy Trinity Catholic School and Academy. For more information, call 314.898.0430 Ext. 4 or visit accessacademies.org/dinner.

Cover design by Allie Bronsky
Cover photo by Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton Photography

Pictured above: Nick McDowell, graduate support director at Most Holy Trinity Catholic School and Academy

Claire, an ACCESS graduate from St. Louis the King, is a senior at Incarnate Word Academy, where she is actively involved in theater. She also was named a 2018 ‘A’ Student by the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Claire works at the St. Louis Art Museum and University City Public Library.

According to Joslyn Sandford, Claire’s Graduate Support Director, “Her family has been through a lot financially and emotionally, and Claire’s motivation for success will never show any of it. She has pushed through it all and still managed to keep her grades up while being involved in activities and leadership roles at Incarnate.”

Claire has been accepted to Bradley University, Truman State University, and Evansville University, and plans to study creative writing, communications, or marketing.

Erika, an ACCESS graduate from St. Cecilia, is a senior at Nerinx Hall, and an aspiring animator and has earned several awards for her art portfolio.

“Erika is such an incredible young woman: driven, selfless, funny, creative, and intelligent.  She’s the first person I think to ask when we need help around school.  Whether it’s tutoring a middle schooler or painting a mural, she’s always willing to help out when you need her.  She’s humble about her talents and achievements (which are many), optimistic even when obstacles seem insurmountable, and thoughtful in her words and interactions with others,” described Heidi Klosterman, Graduate Support Director, St. Cecilia School & Academy.

 

Erika has been accepted to Maryville University, Columbia College, Savannah College of Art & Design, and Truman University.

Aniya is an ACCESS graduate from Most Holy Trinity School & Academy currently attending Trinity Catholic High School, where she is active in the Diversity Club. She also enjoys interacting with younger students and has been involved with our ACCESS Give Back Work-Study program for the past two years.

According to Nick McDowell, Aniya’s Graduate Support Director, she “has been an asset to the program and a leader among her peers. She has been a great role model for the younger students through the work-study program, and very proactive about her approach to her post-secondary options.”

Aniya will be attending Fontbonne University in the fall and plans to take several finance and business courses.