Thinking about the Class of 2020 differently?

MarkLarimer

My son happens to be a high school Senior this year. Based on watching him and his friends, I think scholarship providers will need to get creative to engage the Class of 2020 students. They are in a very different mindset when compared to prior classes. Most I know are feeling significant loss from all the cancelled experiences in their Senior year. No last year of spring sports, no prom, not allowed to hang out with their friends, likely not being able to walk for graduation.

Thinking about the future is difficult when your current reality is so disrupted. Scholarship providers may need to engage this class very differently. I don’t think prior tactics will work as well.

Another point I would make is the financial reality for many families have just drastically changed. Likely, these students and their families have no idea where to start if scholarships were not considered needed or available.

Finally, the 2020 graduation class (for both college and high school) may need additional support going forward beyond paying for college. Their schooling has been disrupted, their life put on hold and their futures are very uncertain. Summer jobs to make money for school will be hard to find.  Not a great combination while going through such a meaningful year. I worry about the longer-term impacts on these kids.  There may be downstream impacts of Covid-19 for far longer than the current crisis. There is an article on CNN taking about these points as well. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/us/teens-coronavirus-coping-wellness-trnd/index.html

 I am curious if this on the radar for scholarship providers or funders? Comments? Thoughts?

[Deleted User]

I have had similar thoughts as my cousin in a senior facing a lot of the same things you mentioned above. My heart breaks for this class and moving forward will be different than they envisioned for sure! Maybe it would be worth putting on a webinar/coffee talk about this idea.