Hobsons, the global leader in college and career readiness technology, named Naaman Forest High School as the Naviance College and Career Readiness winner in the 2017 Hobsons Education Advances Awards. The award was announced Wednesday, July 12. The high school in Garland was recognized during Hobsons’ annual Naviance
Summer Institute in Orlando for the school’s achievements in increasing college application rates and FAFSA completion rates.
Naaman Forest uses Naviance to help students better prepare for and create pathways to college, allowing them to identify their strengths and interests, explore careers and colleges, manage and submit college applications, and research financial aid and scholarship options. During the 2016-17 school year alone, the school has seen a double-digit increase in the number of FAFSA applications submitted by students. The federal student financial aid application is correlated to higher rates of college admission, attendance, and persistence. The school has also tracked a significant increase in the number of students receiving grants and scholarships.
“We found out that only 33 percent of our students were completing the FAFSA when school started. When you’re at a school where 51 percent are on free and reduced lunch, that was a no-brainer. At least we should be at 51 percent completing the FAFSA,” said Rhonda Ramirez, Lead Academic Counselor at NFHSl. “We use Naviance as a way to show the students to look at the colleges, and then to plug in the FAFSA so they can see that there was that potential for them to move on, whether to a community college, or the universities.”
l-r: Kate Cassino, CEO of Hobsons; Susan Beard, Edmunds ISD; Esther Wonton, counselor at Naaman Forest High School; Rhonda Ramirez, lead counselor at NFHS; Julie Edwards, Aptos High School; Steven Smith, Naviance co-founder.
Hobsons’ Education Advances Awards are designed to recognize the innovation that is possible when a school combines people, process, and technology to make a difference in the lives of students. Winners are recognized at Naviance Summer Institute, Hobsons’ user conference for K-12 schools and districts using Naviance to improve college and career readiness for their students. This year’s conference marks the 10-year anniversary of the event.
“Our vision with Naviance is to partner with schools to maximize their ability to help all students attain a fulfilling education and career path,” said Kate Cassino, CEO of Hobsons. “We are thrilled to recognize Naaman Forest High School for its commitment to leveraging technology to empower students in pursuit of their academic goals and post-high school plans.”
In addition to the recognition, NFHS will receive a cash prize to accelerate future college and career readiness initiatives, including creating a space where counselors are able to meet with students and families to provide comprehensive college and career readiness training and instruction.
The 2017 Hobsons Education Advances Awards for success in higher education admissions and student success will be announced next week at Hobsons’ college and university users conference, Hobsons University in Indianapolis, IN.
About Hobsons: Hobsons helps students identify their strengths, explore careers, create academic plans, match to best-fit educational opportunities, and reach their education and life goals. Through our solutions, we enable thousands of educational institutions to improve college and career planning, admissions and best-fit matching, enrollment management, and student success and advising for millions of students around the globe.
l-r: Kate Cassino, CEO of Hobsons; Susan Beard, Edmunds ISD; Esther Wonton, counselor at Naaman Forest High School; Rhonda Ramirez, lead counselor at NFHS; Julie Edwards, Aptos High School; Steven Smith, Naviance co-founder.