Pictured are AmeriCorps Representative Michael Cooley and Carrabec High School senior Nichole Nichols. (Contributed photo) NORTH ANSON — AmeriCorps member Michael Cooley is hoping to make a big difference in the Carrabec community.

The state-wide AmeriCorps program, called the College Access Corps, was launched in response to the dismal rate at which high school graduates seek higher education. Cooley hopes to achieve his goal by making college information more accessible and understandable to students. In line with this goal, he is providing ways for students to focus on bettering themselves. Cooley is also networking cohesively with other programs and personnel at Carrabec to ensure that he accomplishes this mission.

Cooley assists Carrabec High School students with every aspect of the college process and is quickly gaining the respect of both staff and students. He is working towards raising the rate at which Carrabec graduates seek higher education. Many seniors have come to respect his credibility in this field due to the fact that he is a recent graduate of the University of Maine and close to their age (being 23 years of age himself).

Deriving knowledge from his AmeriCorps training and from personal experience, Cooley provides useful information on any college in which students express an interest. However, he is also very responsive to students who seek information on college that he doesn’t have a plethora of knowledge about. For example, Cooley managed to schedule a visit with representatives from an out-of-state technical college to come to Carrabec High School specifically for one student who was very interested in that institute.

Even after he assists students with the application process, Michael still counsels them on matters of financial aid and other concerns that those students might have. “I can’t describe it as anything but magical how the students bond with (Mike). He even won Staff Member of the Month at our assembly last week,” Diane Starr, Guidance Counselor at Carrabec High School, said. His important mission and approachable personality has earned him the respect of fellow staff members and students at Carrabec High School.

He is also providing students throughout Carrabec with ways to focus on bettering themselves, and he is networking with other programs and personnel at Carrabec in order to achieve his goal. Aside from writing letters of recommendation and assisting students on writing their college essays, Cooley also heads programs that help students improve academically. The Learning Center is an after-school program that he is a part of and he assists students in any way he can with their work.

Cooley is making a difference with eighth grade students at Carrabec Community School as well. For one hour a day, he works on developing leadership skills with and improving the academics of a group of eighth grade students in need of positive direction.

“Accomplishing my mission on behalf of AmeriCorps would be impossible if not for the amazing staff members that have my back,” said Cooley. He credits a lot of his progress to the help of Diane Starr and Pat Jarvais, a duo he refers to as the guidance “Dream Team.” Also on his list of people to thank are John Bryant, Carrabec Gear- Up Representative, along with Cory Paquette and Chris Poulin, the JMG personnel at the school.

Cooley humbly admits, “This is a heavily truncated list of individuals who have played a part in spiking the students’ spirit and will to become better. Everyone from Mike Nelson, the new Assistant Principal and Athletic Director, to Janet Boothby, Carrabec’s Study Skills teachers, play a key role in shaping the futures of these Carrabec students.” Cooley believes that, in a time where district consolidation and budget cuts plaque the atmosphere of board meetings, now is the perfect opportunity to invest in the equity of Carrabec High School by increasing the quality programs it has to offer.

Nichole Nichols is a Carrabec High School senior.