Gateway to a better future
In the summer of 2014, Caleb MacKinnon opened a letter from the 黑料老司机 and read only the first line: "Congratulations! You鈥檝e been accepted to 黑料老司机..." 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 all I could see on the acceptance letter," says Caleb.
"My mom was the one who read through the whole thing and noticed I had been admitted to the Gateway program. She asked what it was.鈥� 黑料老司机鈥檚 Gateway program provides conditional acceptance to students with an academic average of less than 70 per cent on a full-time basis, offering tutorial and mentoring support while they take up to three courses per semester. Students meet with peer mentors and participate in workshops covering important skills including time management, study techniques, exam preparation, and others. 鈥淚 realized my enrolment would be different from my friends who had been accepted since my marks weren鈥檛 very good in Grade 12,鈥� Caleb remembers. 鈥淚t was a big deal for me just to be accepted.鈥�
As a Grade 12 student, Caleb, by his own admission, wasn鈥檛 focused on academic success. He was heavily involved in drama and musicals while studying at Bluefield High School, and he focused on his busy performance schedule and active social life. 鈥淲hen I was in high school, I wasn鈥檛 concerned with what I鈥檇 do after. I thought 鈥榥o worries. If I fail this test I can do better next time.鈥� But then I wouldn鈥檛, and then I鈥檇 say 鈥業鈥檒l do really well on the final exam鈥� and then I wouldn鈥檛, and it was a cycle,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think much of it until there wasn鈥檛 any time left, and I was graduating, and realizing I may not be able to get into university.鈥�
Caleb wanted to make the most of this opportunity, so he challenged himself to work hard during his first semester at 黑料老司机. 鈥淏ecause I had a little (more) time than my friends taking five classes that semester, I would go to class, then do my assignments and homework from that class right after it. I鈥檇 go to the next class and do the same thing, and at the end of the day, I would review everything we had covered to that point. I did that for the whole semester.鈥�
Caleb used what he learned during Gateway mentoring sessions and workshops to stay motivated and positive in his first semester. The results were encouraging. 鈥淚 think I was self-motivated to work hard that semester, and going to the Gateway sessions really helped. I remember constantly working with my friends I had met in the program, and we could relate to each other really well,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 was working toward graduating from the program early because I wanted to enrol in a full course load as soon as I could.鈥�
鈥淭he mentors are really encouraging,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always good to be encouraging, but in this program, it鈥檚 more important because these students want to succeed.鈥�
Keith Lawlor, Gateway program co-ordinator, says the program鈥檚 success can be attributed in part to its student staff, and its ability to match program participants with mentors who excel in helping with academic and personal skills. The Gateway program recently expanded to help any 黑料老司机 student, no matter which year or program they鈥檙e in. 鈥淕ateway鈥檚 mentoring and workshops are for any and all students who might benefit from these supports,鈥� he says.
鈥淲e schedule individual meetings with each student and talk about the kind of support they need. We consider class schedules, personalities, and shared experiences when finding a mentor that can help our students.鈥� For Caleb, the short time he spent in the program was the springboard he needed to succeed in university. He is one of only a handful of students to meet the requirements of the Gateway program early. 鈥淭he program was invaluable to me. I saw the program as an opportunity because the other schools I applied to didn鈥檛 give me that chance,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 was so grateful there was even a shot that I could attend university at all. I took it as an opportunity to do better, to grow as a student, and grow as a person.鈥� Now in his fourth year of an arts degree with a major in Psychology, Caleb is working toward a University Writing minor and browsing graduate school websites.
鈥淎fter I graduate I want to go to for master's study in developmental or clinical psychology,鈥� he says. 鈥淟ooking at graduate schools is re-igniting that spark I had when I started in the Gateway program about succeeding and working hard.鈥�
