Kevin Layde is completing his second term of service as an AmeriCorps member with Admission Possible Milwaukee. Admission Possible makes college admission and success possible for low-income students through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support. Kevin currently serves as a senior coach, working directly with high school seniors through after-school college preparatory programming throughout the school year, but his commitment to students doesn’t stop there. His drive to help students prepare for and earn admission into college carries over to extra sessions for students who need additional support and late nights in the Admission Possible office proofreading scholarship and application essays.

Kevin served with Admission Possible last year, coaching 23 juniors at South Division High School in Milwaukee, WI. None of them were at the top of their class, some were learning English or working to reach grade level proficiency, and all of them came from low-income families. These students were not considered “college bound”—by their school, their families, and often, even themselves.

Kevin worked hard to convince them that college was a possibility; they just needed support to reach that goal. He focused on ACT preparation during their junior year, and by the end of the year, students achieved a 17.6% score increase. With their improved test scores, Kevin’s students had the new-found confidence to meet their senior year challenge: applying for and earning admission to college.

Kevin wanted to continue helping his students succeed, so he returned for a second term of service with Admission Possible to work with them through their senior year. His students are committed to getting into college, but Kevin has recognized that they need extra pushes to stay on track in the competitive college admissions process. To that end, he’s developed motivational incentive programs for students who apply to the most colleges, as well as prizes for the students who have been first to complete their FAFSA applications and have the best attendance at after-school sessions. For students whose sports practices or family or work responsibilities conflict with regularly-scheduled sessions after school, Kevin holds evening and early morning sessions. Between these extra sessions and regular office hours throughout the day, Kevin is a constant presence for students at South Division. As a result of Kevin’s support and their own hard work, 100% of his seniors have applied to college, and 90% have been admitted—great successes for students who, one year ago, doubted that they had the skills or means to go to college!

Kevin’s commitment to student success over the past two years has won him the respect of other Admission Possible AmeriCorps members. He is highly supportive of his school partner at South Division, a junior coach in his first year of service with Admission Possible. Kevin models effective coaching and relationship building with students and provides constant guidance and encouragement to other Corps members. Kevin Layde’s commitment to impacting the lives of others through service runs deep, making him an ideal recipient of the Service Impact Challenge Award.