On Friday, December 8, as part of the 2023 College and Career March BCS, seniors joyously paraded through the streets in Carroll Garden and Redhook in a celebratory procession. The event concluded at the Red Hook post office, where they mailed thank-you cards to express gratitude to everyone who supported them during the college application process. Teachers, students, families, and friends lined the streets and enthusiastically waved colorful posters as they cheered on the seniors who joined more than 1,000 students from 11 NYC Outward Bound high schools across the city for this annual tradition. To learn more about our tradition, I spoke with our college counselor and a senior. Let us tune in to the voices of our own BCS.
Karlette Fuchs; College Counselor at Brooklyn Collaborative Studies
Q: How would you describe the College and Career March in your own words?
A: It is a representation of the steps that students will take to get through a community and a journey.
Q: As a college counselor, do believe that the College and Career March can inspire a senior to attend college?
A: I believe that it depends. The decision of attending college has to do with multiple conditions which include family circumstances, the cost, whether the student would be an academic/social fit, etc. The College and Career March was made to make students feel great about themselves and about accomplishing certain goals. However, it could make other students feel otherwise, as they might have different views/circumstances in their case.
Q: Why do you think that the College and Career March requires significant support from the community, including lower and upper grades students, teachers, family, and friends?
A: I think it’s great to have support. We don’t have to, but it’s a huge event. It also allows us to self-display the education and social interaction philosophy here at BCS. It’s important to help the seniors feel valued and it well grounds a person’s growth.
Tihun Galt; Senior at Brooklyn Collaborative Studies
Q: As a senior, how was your experience at the College and Career March?
A: I thought it was super fun! It also felt very important to me to know that people were cheering me and my peers on. The experience really helped me feel a sense of community and to see how the community bonded and the uplifting vibe that’s important at BCS.
Q: Has the College and Career March been an event that you’ve been waiting for since coming to BCS?
A: Yes! It definitely has been!I To get to this point is a huge accomplishment for me. It shows my growth and the work that I have done. The March felt very encouraging.
Q: Did this special event help you in your college journey?
A: It did! The date of the March allowed me to actually turn in all my applications prior to the deadlines. I had a reason to celebrate! I had achieved my goals which allowed me to see my growth.
As a junior, I am excited about participating in the 2024 College and College March with my peers and being cheered on by the community. Having witnessed the March for the past three years, I am fascinated by the amount of support and love displayed each year. Brooklyn Collaborative Studies actively promotes our community core values daily. The cherished tradition of the College and Career March gives the community a special opportunity to celebrate these values. This tradition also offers valuable support to seniors, helping them carry the memories made at BCS into their future as they climb that ladder of success.
