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'VouAlwaysWontBetterforYourKid'
Oneida student
will'be first
in the family
tQ go to college
By Dorkys Ramos
Contributing writer
Before Molly Frink entered Oneida
High School, her parents knew what she
. would do after she graduated. .
Something neither of them had a
chance to do.
"Since elementary.school, they talked
about that I would always go to college,"
shesaid.. . .
. On the verge of becoming a'first-
generation college student in the fall,
Frink, 17, can't wait to begin a phase in
her life that her parents didn'texperience.
She's thinking about roommates, new
friends and the extracurricular activities
she'll get!lchance to experience.
"rip de~tely right no\,\:looking for".-
wardtoit;""'shesaid. . . .
Frlnk)s' father; Jeff, was boininCanas~
tota and ~ed a mgh school diplo,ma.
His parents.weren't aware ofthehelp that
was available to them and believe.<lthey
couldn't afford higher education. But
"there's _always away to'Iind a way," .he
said:
Molly's mother, Margo, was -born in
Canastota imd grew up in Oneida. She
also earned a high school diploma, but .
several factors prevented her from attend-
ing college, and money was ouly one of
,
them.
She said she grew up in a different" .
time, the 19705, and her parents expected
her to get a high school diploma and then
fi!ld'a job. When she was in.high school,
she said, going to college wasn't a big
deal: Some students wentimd some
didn't, while others learned a trade and
went into manufacturing ,-lijce her hus-.
band; who is a supervisor lit Diemolding
Technologies in Syracus~
Years after high school, ~argo said,
she..~ized the importance of a.college
education, but at that point. she and her
husband had a home and a child to take
care~f. . parents were.the only ones in their groups
With the rapid advance of techpology
after she graduated in 1979, Margo said
she felt left behind and Unprepared in the
workplace.
"I think'there wasn:t a lot ofguid-
ance;: she said. . He also stressed the importance
Molly has that resource available to her
at school. She and her classmates can ask
their guidance counselors any questions
they might have about applications, fin-
ancial aid and other opportunities, - "There's
Scott Fletcher, Oneida High School
guidance department chair, advises stu-
L dents to start the college process early.
COLLEGE
I ""'"~
.
.
_ _.
ONEIDA HIGH SCHOOLsenior Molly Frink, 17, discusses the college application
ance d~partment c~air, earlier this year at the school.
.Tlps
iI.Take adva'otage.of resources, s~ch as
the lirterriet,guidance:counsero~
teachersand eollegefairs;. ,.
. start early. Sch~ule any l)eceSsiuy
tests junior year and then use that
surnme;. before senior year to visit
sChools.
- -_
.Choose a strong course $election
begirlniilg in theeigilth a,od' nirit~
, .
gradewithout overw~el!!l16g t!1~:child.
Ask questions and do your r,~i'rch.
FiJ.I.oUt
th~fr~ap'plication tqrfederal
(,student. aii:t'as soori"lIspossi5,le. If 2006.,.
taxesare,flOtready,you.cal)'uselast
yea,r's if)fonnation al)d ~i!jt~teityour
income hasn't changed much;
. Start a financial plan before the
stud~o! reach~ high school.. . DUring college tours, M0l!Y said her
"Whether it's first generation, second
or whatever, they're all the same,"
Fletcher said. "You want to start
earlier."
of tap-
ping into resources and doing reseai'ch.
"Yon've got to becomeJami1iar with
the idea that there's more than Syracuse,
Utica and Binghamton," Fletcher said.
fairs to go to, there's presenta-
tions, Internet to look at. Use your teach-
ers, use your neighbors.
"And the main thing over the summer-
CHOICES
~
pJCampanieI staff photographer
process with Scott Fletcher, the school's guid-
cO.
'''There's fairs to go to, there's presentations, Internet to
,look at. Use your teachers, use your neighbors. "
'. Scott Fletcher, Oneida High School guidance department chair
time ftom junior year to senior, go visit they have let her'JiJake her own decisions.
some places; see what the campus looks "They said to pick the ones that I
like/ t
thought would give me the best.education
Fletcher said it's also important for in what I wanted to do," she said.
parents to stay informed by reading' , With an interest in psychology, art and
school materials, going to college fairs music, specifically piano, Frinkh~ ap-
and getting involved in their child's edu-
cation.
.plied to severallibera1 arts schools with a
range of majors to choose from, such as
"The priI!!e responsibility is mom, dad State University colleges at Oneonta and
and the child,"he said. "We're only here
. New Paltz and State University at Al-
~
to suppOrt; so it's easier for the~ to call
bany, among others. SUNY Potsdafu al-
qs' with questions. . . . The parents have to ready has accepted her, but she is. still
be more proactive.~'
waiting to hear back from her first choice:
_
SUNY Binghamton.
,"My first choice was Potsdam until I
aSking questions about safety, student liv-
ing and what they could do to help her get actually visited Binghamton," .Frink said.
accepted.. "I juSt loved the campus and how it's set
up and everything. It's set up reaJ1y
"My parents know what they're
doing," she said.
nice."
She said her classmates don't talk Throughout the whole college process,
much about their college plans, and jun- Molly said her parents have yet to pres-
iors aren't even thinking about it now. sure her. They made it clear that going to
"I told them they sh~uld, because that college was a basic requirement, and it
was iny mistake," she said. "I didn't was never a matter or whether or not she
think about it until like September this would go. Her mother was glad that they
year." were all on the same wavelength.
Although Molly talks about her plans "You always want better for your kid
with her parents practically every day, than you had," Margo said.