Take a Break
As the semester and year rapidly come to an end, we are all looking forward to taking a break Intuitively we know we need it, 2021 was an intense year for all of us. The extended pandemic has forced us to re-invent how we manage every aspect of our lives. We’ve changed it all from…
Overcoming the Resistance to Fail by
Overcoming Resistance to Failure How does an ACE Coach keep students from failing? They don’t! They help them acknowledge the failure and recover by engaging the Growth Mindset to improve (Dweck, 2006). There is a delicate balance between an ACE Coach guiding from the side and students taking responsibility and holding themselves accountable for their…
The Impact of the Four ACE Pillars
Lorita Williams has worked diligently to build a program that helps students succeed inside and outside the academic world. Her passion for the personal development of ACE students is palpable. You recognize them in her voice, each time she shares an anecdote. I understood the need for ACE before I sat in the conference room,…
ACE Graduate’s Advice To Incoming Students
by Tiana Jurisic, UMass Lowell ‘21, Masters of Public Health – Social & Behavioral SciencesBridgewater State University ‘19, BS Criminal Justice & BA Political Science- International Relations; Anthropology Minor I was dual-enrolled at community college in high school, taking at least six credits, two Advanced Placement courses, and playing a varsity sport. So staying focused…
Demonstrating Grit and Resilience in a Global Pandemic
Throughout a year of extraordinary change, we marvel at our students as they courageously navigate their college experience. In unknown and adverse circumstances, our students have not cowered. They have analyzed and strategized in their pursuit of academic and personal success. Now into the third semester of remote learning, most notably ACE students have demonstrated…
A NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE TO OUR ACE STUDENTS
Relax, Renew and Recommit Yay! The first semester of the school year is finished. What does that mean for you? What have you learned, experienced anew, contemplated during the past four months? Where have your studies taken you academically, socially, spiritually, or even psychologically? During this brief respite from your academic studies, the four ACE…
Courage in Plain Sight
Recently one of the students I coach said, “I finally got up the courage to speak up in class and my professor and other students actually responded to what I had to say. I’m beginning to like this class.” This conversation spurred my interest in examining the role of courage in learning. At Accelerated College Experiences (ACE)…
The Fight for Equity and Social Justice
How the Four Pillars Prepare ACE Students in the Fight for Equity and Social Justice I founded ACE because I understood preparedness was making a visible difference in the approach entering college and the inevitable outcomes.Students whose parents had the resources to provide tutoring or attend specialized summer courses for remedial math and science to…