S4 E22: 96% College Success Rate: Inside the Program Transforming Low-Income Students' Lives with Tracy Baynes

Why do 96% of STEP students graduate college when the national average is far lower? In this eye-opening conversation with Tracy Baynes, founder of the Student Expedition Program (STEP), discover how experiential learning and comprehensive support are transforming college access for low-income Arizona students.

Join our S4E22 conversation to discover how Tracy Baynes is revolutionizing college access for low-income students! From teaching oceanography on tall ships and instructing with the with National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Outward Bound to reenvisioning education in Arizona, Tracy shares powerful insights on:

• Why going to college isn't enough - it's about getting the degree
• The truth about community college vs. 4-year universities
• How standardized testing acts as a gatekeeper
• Breaking down barriers in college admissions
• The myth of AP exam scores
• Building self-advocacy skills for college success
• Creating generational change through education

Tracy offers many strategies and even an invitation to connect about transforming college access and creating pathways to success for all students! 

 #STEPProgram #CollegeSuccess #HigherEducation #CollegeAccess #Education #StudentSuccess #CollegePrep #FirstGeneration #EducationalEquity #CollegeAdvising #FirstGen #APClasses #CollegeBound #UnderservedStudents #EducationalOpportunity #CollegeGuidance #StudentMentorship

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

Transcript

Olivia: [00:00:00] Hi there. I'm so happy you're here. Here's what you'll gain by listening to the very last second of this conversation with Tracy Baynes. Tracy founded STEP. It's the Student Expedition Program, and this program achieves a 96 percent college graduation rate by providing comprehensive support to low-income Arizona students through experiential learning, rigorous academic preparation, and self-advocacy skill development. Throughout this conversation, you'll learn why taking challenging AP courses in high school is more valuable for college prep than focusing on the actual exam scores or dual enrollment. You'll learn why going directly to a four-year institution with full financial need coverage is more effective for degree completion than starting at a community college, which is a message a lot of kids here.

Olivia: And you'll also hear skills that are critical for college [00:01:00] success. Stay with us. I'm so excited to have you join our conversation. This is Schoolutions: Coaching and Teaching Strategies. The podcast that extends education beyond the classroom. A show that offers educators and caregivers strategies to try right away and ensure every student receives the inspiration and support they need to thrive.

Olivia: I am Olivia Wahl and I am honored to welcome Tracy Baynes as a guest on the podcast today. Let me tell you a little bit about Tracy. Prior to founding STEP, or Student Expedition Program, Tracy taught expedition-based programs with a variety of incredible organizations. In 2002, Tracy turned her full attention to STEP, providing low income Arizona students and families with the knowledge, guidance, and advocacy skills to successfully navigate the pathway to acquiring a college degree.[00:02:00] 

Olivia: Tracy, I think the work you are doing is so critical in developing a better world and, um, I'm really honored to hold space for this conversation. Welcome. 

Tracy: Thank you, Olivia. It's great to be here. 

Olivia: Yeah. Um, let's start with your origin story because your background is fascinating. So, you know, I know I just shared you started the STEP program in 2002. How did the idea for STEP even come to play? 

Tracy: Well, when, when I, when you say I started in 2002, I started really kind of thinking about it, putting it together, researching it. I started to work with students in 2004, so it really took some time in beforehand to really kind of, uh, get a better understanding of the situation out there. But um, background story, um, oddly enough, my, my training is in oceanography and, and now I'm doing college access with students in Arizona. And, um, for years I was teaching, uh, things called [00:03:00] semesters at sea. So going out on a tall ship, for example, and doing a full semester with college students, uh, where they're taking a full load of courses, but they're also crew members on the ship.

Tracy: Okay, so they're getting up at four in the morning and, and, and doing a watch for the ship and, and doing everything that it takes to keep the ship running. I was also teaching with the, and, uh, in expeditions with The National Outdoor Leadership School and Outward Bound. So all of these were experiential programs that were incredibly life transforming for the students. And I was, I was finding after some years of working in these programs that I was only working mostly with wealthy kids. And I started thinking, gosh, where's everybody else? And that got me looking into education statistics and, and finding that achievement gap between low-income and high-income students and who goes on to college.

Tracy: And, and you know, when you, when [00:04:00] you look at statistics like that, you know, that's not on ability alone, right? You know, there's these other factors coming in. And so then I started. I started reaching out to teachers and educators, vice principals, counselors at high schools. I said, what is the deal here?

Tracy: Like, I just started meeting with people. What's going on here? And they said, Tracy, there's so many kids that we personally know that were doing really well in school, taking hard courses. Uh, you know, everybody thought they were on track to go to college. You know, nobody's really kind of paying attention to them because they're not causing problems. They don't they're not dropping out, you know, but they're also, you know, not going on to college. And when I really heard that, uh, that was the thing that really got me super motivated to work with these students, students that are working hard, willing to put the hard work in when they're just not getting the guidance to make that transition to college.

Tracy: Um, when we look at our [00:05:00] families, uh, a vast majority of our, um, parents haven't even gotten a high school education. So, you know that a student getting a high school diploma is already going kind of way past the goal post. Right. The educational goalposts. And so it really, uh, there, there's a huge need for that kind of multi-year guidance. So when I first started in 2004, um, it was, and I hate to say just, but it was just a leadership expedition to Alaska for three weeks. Sea kayaking. Okay. In the Alaskan wilderness. And, um, we partnered with the National Outdoor Leadership School, NOLS. And we've been doing that for 20 years and really to get them outside of their known world outside of their comfort zone.

Tracy: Because yeah. You know, as adults, we can say until we're blue in the face, you can do anything you set your, your mind to and you work hard to get, but until a student really believes that internally, it's just going over their heads. [00:06:00] Right, right. So these experiences really inform them internally that they can take on challenges they never thought they could take on. Right? 

Olivia: Yeah, Tracy. I want to pause there for a second. I was in conversation with Julianna Tapper yesterday. She has a book that just was published around math interventions at grade 6 through 12 and we were talking about the idea of gatekeeping and how a lot of our educational systems are gatekeepers, especially for caregivers and students that don't know all of the ins and outs of the courses you have to take. And those, for lack of a better word tracks, you really have to be cognizant of, especially even in middle school. And that's what's fascinating to just tease that out with her. And it's a lot of what you're speaking to, right? 

Tracy: Yes, and if a student is tracked in, you know, uh, you know, one of the things that I tell Educators is you know, if you can get them going [00:07:00] on algebra one. Yeah, that's what we're talking about. Yeah, right so they can get through calculus, right, you know by the time they graduate and just pushing students into uh, you know, hard, the challenging courses, I mean, the thing that got me really to shift from just an expedition to doing a multi-year college prep and college access program, which now we work with students from their sophomore year, all the way through high school graduation, and it's incredibly comprehensive, including working with parents on financial aid.

Tracy: So that's a gatekeeping part too, right? Um, but, uh, you know, I, I got one of our students that I was, uh, I was instructing on these expeditions and so you really bond with students and I'd ask students where they're applying to school and they'd say the local community college and Stanford or the local community college and the local Arizona University, which we have three wonderful state  universities here, but that was it. That was [00:08:00] it. That was all that they were saying one girl came to me I asked her and she said I'm going to apply to the local community college in Smith College And when she said that I realized she really doesn't know Smith College from anything but she's heard that come out of my mouth and she trusts me.

Tracy: And so she's gonna apply to this school. Yes, well, then I said, oh my gosh, great. Great. Great. Let me look at your transcript high school transcript I'm gonna help you navigate this and apply to Smith and when I looked at the transcript Straight A's, not a single challenging course on the transcript. And that's really what the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I was like, wow, nobody is, I've got to jump in the deep end of the pool, you know, and really work with students and guide them in the courses they should be taking. I mean, our, our students, our students take the most challenging courses at their high schools and you have to do that for, you know, what we say is this is not about going to college.

Tracy: It's about getting a college degree. 

Olivia: Wait, I want, I, I want you to say that one more [00:09:00] time because that's critical.  

Tracy: Very different things. 

Olivia: They sure are. They sure are. 

Tracy: So going to college, uh, uh, there's, you know, quite a few students drop out of college. So going to college is not the goal. The goal is a four-year college degree. Yeah. Well, there's multiple aspects to being successful in college once you get there. And one of those is to have the rigor. Have the background academically now grant it often students coming from predominantly low-income public high schools in the United States. They do not have the same preparation. Then students that are coming from higher income schools, private schools, that sort of thing. But if you can at least get those students to take the most challenging courses at their public high schools, then the ability to. Transition to college and really work hard to, to increase that rigor and do that, we found our students are successful, but so this is [00:10:00] what I say to our students.

Tracy: When you go, when you transition from high school college, you're going from taking however many college level courses, let's call them advanced placement courses to 100 percent college courses, right? So it doesn't make sense for you to take as many college level courses as you can in high school to prepare yourself for that, right?

Olivia: It does. It does. And I, I want to just take a moment to speak to two pieces that you've mentioned. I want to go back to the very beginning of this conversation where you said you really didn't start the program until 2004. You took two years to dive in deeply and research and be in conversation with people on the ground.

Tracy: When when COVID happened, a lot of schools went to be test optional, because literally students could not test. They couldn't get to test testing centers were closing, et cetera, et cetera. So, all of these schools typically requiring testing. Um, said we're going to go test optional and they've been [00:11:00] that way for now years. And now there is this groundswell for school for really kind of, it started, you know, with some of the Ivy league institutions, Dartmouth, et cetera, saying, oh, we're going to reinstate testing. And there were a couple of New York times articles about that and, uh, gosh, we could do a whole podcast on that.

Tracy: Yes. I can tell you from my experience for 20 years. Working with our students, our students do not tend overall. I'm not saying that there aren't students that test amazingly, but overall, the standardized testing scores are not good. And our students have been going to test optional schools from the very beginning, like Bowdoin and Smith College, you know, schools that have been test optional way before the pandemic. And these are highly high rank schools, really rigorous schools. And our students were graduating. Then when the pandemic happened and they took test requirements off, I mean, our students have been going [00:12:00] to the top ranked schools, uh, our, our entire time, but more students went to kind of those Ivy league institutions that would otherwise have testing requirements.

Tracy: And guess what? They're doing well and they're graduating. Yes. And so it really, I really feel so strongly that. That standardized, bringing standardized testing back is a gatekeeper that is going to keep really students that absolutely can thrive at these schools out of these schools. 

Olivia: So that's so fascinating to me because I've shared with you, I have a senior in high school right now, and he did choose to take the SAT, the ACT, and he's submitting those scores. And so I want to linger here for a second because I hear you saying, Are the students do need to take the most challenging courses, those AP courses, and it's also important to know where you're going [00:13:00] to be able to thrive and showing and presenting yourself as a student as a learner. And so I want to set aside the gatekeeping of the standardized test and talk more about the APs. Because a lot of kids take AP courses with the notion that they have to get a four or five on the exam. So what is the secret sauce you've found to help and support the students at the high school level and thriving in those AP classes if they may not have the background knowledge and schema going into the experience?

Tracy: What I found with our students, and this goes back to that's kind of a, you know, grit versus talent. Yeah, right. Yeah. Well, you know, um, is our students work hard and they're going to do the hard work to excel in those AP classes. Are they going to get a 4 and 5 on the AP exam? Some absolutely [00:14:00] will. Some won't. They'll get ones, twos, threes, whatever, but the fact that they took the rigor of that AP course and did the hard work to excel in them, I don't think it's about the AP exam. That's what I'm, yeah, I agree. I really don't. And, you know, what we know, and, you know, I've worked with colleges and universities for 20 years, uh, and they say, you know, we want to see the students taking the most rigorous courses and they know what AP is.

Tracy: They know what that rigor is. They don't know what a dual enrollment course is, right? Because it very much depends on the community college that they're doing the dual enrollment course with. Right? And there's no concept of really what that rigor is. And one of the things that I'm finding happening is that there's more and more an emphasis on dual enrollment to the, and taking off AP. And one of the reasons is the school says, school principals will say, Well, our students aren't testing well in the AP. [00:15:00] So we're going to walk away from AP and go to dual enrollment and that's a groundswell I'm also seeing.  

Olivia: Can you define what dual enrollment is for listeners?

Tracy: Dual enrollment is, um, where you, it's like you, you're taking a, you're taking a course in high school, but you're also getting like community college credit for it.

Olivia: So let's talk community college track because you and I have had this conversation. Previously, and I hear a lot of students receiving advice of, you know, you don't need to jump right into a four year college, start a community transfer. And what results are you seeing with that with your students? 

Tracy: Well, I think a lot of educators out there will. They'll advise students differently if they're coming from low income or high income. Maybe, you know, students that are, they're excelling in the same way in school, maybe taking those hard courses. And I think there's a myth out here, [00:16:00] a myth that is generally, um, uh, people believe this thing, which is, you know, you should go to, if a low income student should go to community college for the first two years and get their gen eds out of the way, and it's going to be cheaper for you to go to community college than to go to a four year institution right out of high school.

Tracy: And that's just not true. Specifically not true. If you work and working really hard in high school, taking the most challenged courses and excelling. Okay, because there are scholarships available to you to go directly and pay for your, you're going directly to a 4 year institution. So. One of the things that we work with, again, remember, I'm going to go back to that statement. Our goal is to, for our students to get a college degree. To graduate, yes. Right? Yes. And not just to go to college. Right. And hands down, I've seen in the 20 years that I've, I've done this, that going directly to a four year institution is the. Highest likelihood [00:17:00] of getting a degree in four years and getting a degree period to be honest with you Yes, because initially when we were not doing the college access program and college prep programs We're doing now.

Tracy: We're just doing the expedition a lot of our students Went to community college and it really takes that much more fortitude to go to two years then navigate the transition to a four year institution. And when you look at this, the statistics there, it's not a, not a lot of students are going from a community college to a four-year institution.

Tracy: And when we just look at the loan debt too, now with our students, you know, we've seen that it's actually. Cheaper to go directly to a four-year institution because you're getting those scholarships to pay for that. 

Olivia: So, how, yeah, what are the results? The actual numbers that you're seeing with the college prep program?

Tracy: Well, our results. I mean, so we, and it's important to understand. Again, speaking to that, our [00:18:00] emphasis is getting a college degree when we give the statistics on the success of our program, we're not talking about the number of students who go to college. We're talking about the number of students that persist in college and get a college degree. Yes. So our statistic is 96 percent of our alumni are in college or have a college degree. And so, 

Olivia: I mean, with those results. You have the mentorship happening while students are in high school, and then you also have that ongoing mentorship. Does it continue once the students graduate? How long into their college experience does that include?

Tracy: Well, our structured program is fully focused on high school, our high school students. Now, that being said, we are, uh, we provide, uh. A support group for our, you know, an online support group for our alumni. Um, we, uh, introduce alumni that are going to [00:19:00] colleges and universities where our alumni are currently attending or introducing that whole group. So that those students that are on those campuses can be. Kind of mentors and friends helping them navigate that transition to college. So, and we always say to our alumni, we are absolutely here and I've, I've worked with quite a few alumni, just helping them in their next step of perhaps great, um, applying to graduate school.

Tracy: So, uh, you know, the, the relationship continues, the structured program we're really focusing on uh, our high school students and one of the key things again speaking to getting a college degree One of the key things we're working on is self-advocacy skills for our students that is critical because we know It's not you know again as a high school student you think oh I’m doing all this work I'm doing all this work and then my goal and the end product is I’m going to college, right? And it's like gosh you know, what we know as adults is it just starts there, [00:20:00] right? And navigating all the challenges that they are going to face in college, and specifically for low income students, those challenges are. Are vast. Okay. So many levels, but to be able to navigate that so that you can successfully get through that and get to a college degree.

Tracy: You have to have the skills to do that. You have to have the skills to ask for help when you need help. You have to ask. You get how the skills would somebody says no to you to just not take no for an answer, right? And it really puts through and um, you know, we say to our students and parents when they first enter our program, our whole goal is to become obsolete in your life.

Olivia: And yeah, and I also that idea of self-advocacy, you've mentioned grit before that you really can't instill that in a student. But I go back to when we were just touring and visiting different schools and we sat in on a couple of student panels and what we heard [00:21:00] time and time again from the students is. Take advantage of office hours, get to know your professors. You show up for office hours. You, it is okay. If you have, if you're lost, you know, do your best in class. But if you are not taking advantage of office hours, you are totally missing out. And I think that's something that you wouldn't even consider.

Olivia: And there's the notion with some families in the way some children are raised, that it's impolite. Once you hear no for the first time that you would push beyond that, but we know that that's just not the case in business. 

Tracy: Yes. And, you know, you're right. There's that there's kind of that cultural background perhaps.

Tracy: Right? But then also there's something that social scientists have found, which is. When you're coming from, say, a low-income background or a non-traditional, like you're going to a predominantly white, wealthy institution, and you are [00:22:00] not coming from that background. Right? Um, they also see it with women going into science, for example, it's just that this idea that. I have to prove that I can do this. And the only way I'm going to really prove that if I, is if I totally do it on my own, it's the most destructive thing that you can, the mindset that you can have. Okay. But it is something that is a burden for low-income students or non-traditional students to think, I can't, if I reach out for help, I'm showing weakness.

Tracy: Or I'm showing that I can't do it on my own. And actually, it's the opposite mindset that's going to get you to be successful. Right? And we just had, um, we just, we always do. We bring alumni back for one of the last uh, workshops that are seniors get and we bring alumni back that have now transition and been successful at school. And we have them come back [00:23:00] and really talk to our students about what that transition is like, and it really is super challenging. That first year is so challenging, right? It's so easy for our students to think. They don't belong that the school made this mistake that they made a mistake that there may be just oh, they're just part of a statistic.

Tracy: I mean, there's just so many things that a student could think about that when they're placed in a situation where not many people look they do and not many people come from where they come from. Right? So this imposter syndrome is very common. And so I look, I come back to really talk about that. That is real. But the difference is. Knowing that other people that have gone before you that have been successful that came from where you came from experience that too. And this is how they got through it and they got through it by, by, by going that extra mile, by reaching out and going to professor's office hours to, to, you know, uh, just doing, you know, going to study [00:24:00] sessions, uh, asking for help, uh, et cetera, et cetera.

Tracy: And I, you know, one of our alumni, this just, we just literally had this, uh, workshop last weekend. And he said something, it was something of, but, you know, like asking for help doesn't mean, um, you can't do it. It means that you and I'm totally paraphrasing. He said it much more eloquently than this, but it's like asking for help actually shows how the skill set that you have to be able to. To do what it takes to be successful. And I, I've clearly, he said it in a much more eloquent way, but I told him, I said, say that again, because you know, you ha you have to advocate for yourself. That's how you're going to be successful, not only in college, but in career and life. 

Olivia: And I, I would also say that it's really important to know when you don't know. And I have found in relationships [00:25:00] in business and being in the consulting world, I lose faith. In colleagues or in sitting in sessions with people that I feel like are being really inauthentic and not acknowledging. I'd much rather say to someone if I'm asked a question, you know, I'm not sure I have no idea. Can I reach out to someone else and circle back with you then make up an answer? And I think that's another lens of this. That's critical for students to know. It's okay to say you don't know and to reach out for help. 

Tracy: Yes. And by doing that, you're actually showing a maturity, a great maturity and a great kind of wisdom in doing that. Yeah. And, and then. When you've, you've gone through that transition and, and now you're the person that has got the skill set, then there you're there to then help the next generation coming in. 

Olivia: [00:26:00] Yeah, I appreciate the mentorship that you're incorporating into the program, because again, I envision this it's, it's multi generational and that's what I appreciate that you are in the long game for this. And you and I have also talked about. Um, that that idea of a secret sauce that it would be really awesome if you could clone yourself and create this type of program all over the world and yet that's not really where the direction you want to go in. And so you talk more about that. 

Tracy: Well, I think, um. You know, a lot of what we do is very much common sense, uh, it's, it's, it's, it's not rocket science, but it's also like relationship based.

Olivia: Yeah. 

Tracy: Right. On the ground. It's on the ground. Um, and it is, hey, let's look at what needs to [00:27:00] happen now in high school. For you to be successful as you transition and then go through college and also let's expose you and your family to what is out there. You know, one of the things that I want to point out is the only schools we work with outside of Arizona are the ones that meet full financial need of the students and families. That's how we choose the schools that we work with outside of Arizona. Now we also work with our Arizona universities. Our three Arizona universities. But to give them a full exposure of what is out there, right? And being able to have college completely covered and paid for.

Tracy: It just happens that those schools are the highest ranked schools in the country. So we don't, we don't, we don't choose the schools that are highest rank. That's not how, that's not what we do. You know, we choose the schools that will fund our students and, um, that, you know, you know, taking off that financial burden [00:28:00] is a huge piece, but, but I, so I, so back to like what, what, you know, so you're really, you're, you're sitting down and you're thinking, you know, what, what are the barriers here?

Tracy: Right. And and how can we approach those barriers? How can we educate people? How can we expose people? How can we get the students to be taking the courses that they need to take to be prepared not only prepared But to have those schools interested in them. Yes But again, the school is not you know One of these schools is not gonna accept you if you know, for example the transcript that I originally saw which is straight A's But no hard courses because they don't want you to fail at their institution and they know their institution has high rigor You know, so, uh, you were. Uh, you're getting, you're preparing the students so that they are attractive to these institutions also. 

Olivia: And how, how do, like, just the idea of even connecting with you and STEP, how do, do you go into [00:29:00] schools? Like, how are people finding you? 

Tracy: Absolutely, we do a massive outreach every fall. So our applications are due with this. So students apply to our program in their sophomore year, and those applications are due around Thanksgiving. So in the fall, we're, we're reaching out to our. Predominantly low income, large public schools in Phoenix and Tucson. We're reaching out to counselors and we're saying, Hey, let's, we want to come to your school. We want to tell your sophomores about this, specifically sophomores coming from that low income background, coming from a first gen background where their parents don't have a four year college degree. Um, and we want to speak to them about step and encourage them to apply. So we do, we do, and then now 20 years. I think there's a lot of word of mouth that happens. Absolutely. We don't have partner high school, so any, you know, any Arizona student that can come to our workshops in Phoenix and Tucson, um, can apply to our program. Um, and, and yeah, so we do, we do a massive [00:30:00] outreach. 

Olivia: That, that makes sense. And I know you have said to that the application process is no joke. And so if someone decides you're, you're establishing that high bar and expectation for rigor right out of the gate. 

Tracy: Absolutely. We have, you have to write six essays. If a student looks at that and goes, no, not interested, then that's probably a pretty good education, and then it's not a good fit for our program. We're really looking for students that are really ready to work hard and, and honestly, when we look at our applications, and those essays are so critical with this, what I'm looking for is internal motivation. I'm looking for a kid that really is, is got that motivation to work hard and have this be their goal because I can give students a lot in our program, confidence, larger worldview, self-advocacy skills, right? We can, we can expose them to a lot, et cetera. But you can't really give a person internal motivation. Well, that's what we're looking for. [00:31:00] 

Olivia: Yeah. And, you know, I, I, I want to wrap by just saying, you are an incredibly inspiring person and you're passionate about this and you, you, you know, you've said a few times you've been doing this for 20 years and you lived a completely. Other like 1.0 career and life before this, and this is Tracy 2.0, and I'm sure there's many, many other versions, but I think there's something to be said of your modeling for your students that when you find something you're really passionate about, you'll go to the end of the earth to make it happen. And that you're, you're everyday modeling that, that, that ethic of, you know, put time in to what matters. 

Tracy: And when nobody's paying attention, when there's no, when there are no accolades coming your way, right? Yeah. Do the hard work. This is one of the other things I tell our students. It's like, I think [00:32:00] almost this story of how I started step. It is a kind of an indication of what education can do for you. Okay. I think what education does for people, it allows them to make choices and to follow their passion, right? If you're just really having to work a nine to five job, just to just to barely pay the rent and that sort of thing like you you can't really be thinking oh, I'm gonna I want to go down this route.

Tracy: You know, I was able – when I was an oceanographer, I was a researcher. I was a teacher, you know, and I said, oh I want to do this thing I always had that to fall back on right so I could kind of take this risk and say, no, I really want to see if I can make this happen. And I think education gives you the freedom to do that sort of thing. And, you know, everybody says, follow your passion, follow your passion, but your passion shifts throughout life. Of course it does. Absolutely. Yeah. That's why I love students. Like you have a passion now, but you know, down the road, you're going to have possibly another passion, you know, [00:33:00] and education gives you that ability to, to shift with that.

Olivia: Yeah, and it shifts the privilege. It shifts that lens of privilege of where we can say, oh, follow your passion. But if you don't have the privilege, you're in my mind, flattening that hierarchy and opening up this world that is not open enough to people that are low income to children of students of color, their families. So I think that that's another huge piece of this. 

Tracy: Another thing I want to say is the ripple effect of this is huge. Um, it's, we are literally talking about generational change. Yes. And so, you know, we're working with, for example, with, I get, we're working with so many families who we are working with multiple siblings, right? Like the older sibling, the, the, the, the, and, um, they're, and then we're working with their cousins or cousins, you know, friends that they've talked to, um, their family member, you know, they're [00:34:00] shifting. Not only will that person get a college degree, but they're shifting, uh, that for the people, the family, the friends, the community in their life, right?

Tracy: And then, you know, once you have a college degree, Likely your children are going to know about college as soon as they can understand the word. So there's this shift that is goes way beyond just the individual students that we're working with. In fact, our counselors at these high schools have said, gosh, step has such a larger impact because. The students that you're training in this program are training their peers. 

Olivia: Yes. It's every level of the fractal and the ripple effects that are there. I couldn't agree more. Tracy, this work is, as you just said, you know, you're up very early. You're working when no one is looking. What inspires you? Who inspires you to keep going?

Tracy: That is a, there's an easy answer to that question and that is these students [00:35:00] and these families, our students, uh, they are incredibly inspirational. I, I, I, I feel so grateful. To be able to work with these spectacular human beings. I mean, when you look at what our students have on their plate, they're not just high school students. They're taking care of their siblings and they might be holding down a job. They're just diamonds in the rough. I mean, just spectacular and to be able to kind of launch them. Into higher education and then launch them into, you know, being able to be the voices in the rooms that they might not otherwise be in. So, you know, the boardrooms, CEOs, physicians, attorneys, politicians, you know, to be able to launch these, these voices for the future that we absolutely need, um, coming from these traditionally historically, say, low income populations. I [00:36:00] think that to me is, um. Is incredibly inspirational. 

Olivia: Well, finding out and learning about you and the step program has been in a really transformative experience for me, and it gives me so much hope and where we can go. If we all work together to serve the needs of. All of the people in our world and not just the privileged. And so I am grateful for you and the work you're doing. And thank you for taking the time to hold space for this conversation. 

Tracy: Can I, can I give a quick shout out for if, if anybody's interested in learning more about step, of course, Google STEP College Prep or Google STEP Expedition. We're going to pop right to the top. Um, yes, we will pop right to the top of your Google search. When you do that, and we have a really great website that that just gives a lot of information about what we're doing. And so if anybody would like to learn more, and then I'll just say shout out to [00:37:00] anybody that is out there thinking they might want to do this in their community. I'm happy to, I'm happy to speak with them. 

Olivia: Oh, that's such a big offer. And I will tuck all of the links, all things, STEP and College Prep into the show notes. Um, so they have access to you and, uh, yeah. Thank you so much, Tracy. Thank you. Take care. Schoolutions: Coaching and Teaching Strategies is created, produced and edited by me, Olivia Wahl.

Olivia: Thank you to my older son, Benjamin, who created the music playing in the background. You can follow and listen to Schoolutions wherever you get your podcasts, or subscribe to never miss an episode and watch on YouTube. Thank you to my guest, Tracy Baynes, for sharing how to stop the gatekeeping cycle of college admissions and support all students that want to acquire college degrees. Now, I'd love to hear from [00:38:00] you. Send me an email at schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com. Let me know what resonated most with you from my conversation with Tracy and what challenges have you faced with the college application process? I know we're in the thick of it right now. Tune in every Monday for the best research backed coaching and teaching strategies you can apply right away to better the lives of the children in your care. Stay tuned for my bonus episodes every Friday, where I'll share how I applied what I learned from the guests in schools that week. See you then.