Erica Harwell is completing her 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. Through her service, Erica has demonstrated her genuine care for low-income students’ futures and persistence in working with them to overcome barriers to college enrollment and completion.

As a high school coach last year, Erica served 14 students at St. Joan Antida High School in Milwaukee, WI to help them earn college admission. 100% of them were accepted and enrolled at colleges around the state! This year, Erica serves as a college coach, supporting alumni of Admission Possible’s high school program who are now in college, or are working to re-enroll in college courses.

Many Admission Possible students are the first in their families to attend college, so their families often can’t offer assistance navigating college issues. As a college coach, Erica provides the extra support that students need to be successful in college. She advises them on financial aid, class registration, campus resources and more, and often works directly with student service staff at colleges to advocate for Admission Possible students.

Many of the students that Erica works with are Admission Possible graduates that she has never met, living and attending college in cities across the country. Even though they don’t know her personally, Erica is able to quickly win students’ trust and build relationships with them. She is persistent in using any method possible to make contact with students, who are often surprised to hear from her via phone, email and Facebook until they are able to connect for a full conversation. While this approach might seem overwhelming, students are happy to talk to Erica because they’ve learned how helpful she is in helping them solve problems. Erica doesn’t criticize or shame students for actions that can create problems in their college careers, such as late financial aid paperwork or poor time management; instead, she focuses on how students can move forward and successfully resolve issues so that they can stay enrolled and keep working toward their degree. She takes the time for continued conversation and follow-up on issues that are more difficult to resolve. By taking the time to work one on one with students, Erica has achieved impressive results that put them ahead of the game compared to other college students. Currently 60% of her students have renewed their FAFSA. 100% of her students that are eligible for renewable scholarships have the information they need to continue receiving the scholarship.

Erica’s commitment to low-income college students’ success has helped build their trust in her as a coach, as well as their trust in Admission Possible as an organization that works on their behalf. Through her diligence and hard work with college students to help them persist to college degrees, Erica exemplifies making an impact on the community through service and is a perfect fit for the Service Impact Challenge Award.