College freshman Jarod Taylor credits Reaching Higher for helping him get accepted into University of Michigan.
When Jarod was a student at Springport Middle School, he saw a flyer for Reaching Higher, a brand new after school program which helps students reinforce academics, develop new interests, and socialize with other peers. He was curious about the program and decided to sign up and give it a shot.
He realized right away that Reaching Higher was just the program he needed. It was the first school activity that he really dedicated himself to.
“Up until I joined Reaching Higher I was struggling to find my niche,” said Jarod. “I didn’t really know where I fit in or what sort of things I liked doing.”
Reaching Higher pushed Jarod to become a more involved and responsible person. He became more active in school, put forth more effort into his homework, and made new friends.
When Jarod entered high school, he decided to continue with the program as a mentor for younger students.
“It was enjoyable watching kids go through the same transformation I did,” he said. “I wasn’t mentoring because I had to; I genuinely enjoyed the program and watching others succeed.”
Jarod graduated high school in the spring of 2016 and was accepted to the University of Michigan. He credits Reaching Higher for motivating him to do his best in school.
“I realized that I might not have gotten into the University of Michigan without Reaching Higher changing me as a person,” said Jarod. “It had such a big impact on my life both academically and personally.”
He is grateful that programs like Reaching Higher exist to help students find their purpose.
“Reaching Higher helps students so much because it gives them an encouraging, productive environment to succeed,” said Jarod.