Student-led PECS program lends a hand to Richmond-area college applicants

By William Lineberry
Honors College

PECS is flexing its muscle at Virginia Commonwealth University: In the past year, the student-led nonprofit has expanded its support of potential college applicants in Richmond-area schools.

Established in 2017 within VCU's Honors College, the PECS program - Personalized Exploration for College Success - is a peer mentorship and application assistance initiative that benefits both sets of participants. For students in the Honors College, which emphasizes experiential learning, PECS is an opportunity to develop teaching skills while delivering mentorship and writing lessons. For local high-schoolers, the program can be a springboard to college admission and success.

"We really have scaled our model up over the last year," said Adam Vo, the PECS executive director and an Honors College junior majoring in biology in VCU's College of Humanities and Sciences. "By the end of last semester and then on into this semester, we are really starting to see how this scaling up has really increased our impact."

The numbers help tell the story:

• Over the past year, the PECS volunteer team has soared from three members to 33, with a robust leadership group of directors and co-directors, Vo said.
• PECS now provides services to seven city of Richmond public high schools as well as Douglas S. Freeman High School in Henrico County. PECS even formalized its relationship with Richmond Public Schools and VCU last year and now receives funding from both.

"We've never had this many school partners or this many team members, so it's really picking up," Vo said.

PECS provides workshops, mentorship matching, writing consultations, essay reviews and other assistance to high school students who are applying to colleges. It received a recent Division of Community Engagement award for its accomplishments.

"Serving as a volunteer in PECS allows me to grow as a mentor while making a positive impact on students' lives," Saihithi Akula, co-director of volunteering and an Honors College sophomore majoring in biology. "The organization has given me the opportunity to … gain a better understanding of the challenges that some students may face when trying to navigate potential paths to higher education."

Mary Boyes, director of writing and an associate professor in the Honors College, has served as the PECS faculty advisor since its inception. She credits its recent expansion to Vo and his dedicated peers.

"The students who volunteer for PECS have amazing energy and commitment to PECS' mission to help students who might not otherwise apply to college," Boyes said. "It's an invaluable touchpoint to help these high school students see college as a viable option for their future."

Vo, who joined PECS as a freshman, said the strong foundation laid by previous program leaders and volunteers was crucial to facilitating its recent growth. He also stressed the importance of listening - both to potential students and the program's partners. A team call with a Huguenot High School administrator led to a new effort that targets students who say they aren't interested in applying to college.

"We pride ourselves on most of our programs being created around and in response to direct feedback from students we work with and administrators in RPS," Vo said.

To learn more about PECS, visit the program webpage.