Clayton State, Achieve Atlanta sign student-focused MOU
(October 8, 2024) - After years of professional collaboration, leaders from Clayton State University and Achieve Atlanta (AATL) met to publicly sign off on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to mutually strengthen resources and assistance to students from both institutions.
Presidents Dr. Georj L. Lewis of CSU and Dr. Cheryl Watson-Harris of AATL met alongside their colleagues and expressed excitement of a shared mission to provide resources and support for a continued positive impact for Atlanta Public Schools (APS) students for many years to come.
“This partnership is important to me because Achieve Atlanta’s track record shows that students receiving [AATL’s] scholarships and support persist in college at a higher rate compared to students who don’t participate,” Lewis said. “I know, firsthand, that Achieve Atlanta Scholars have benefited from support that’s provided by our team here at Clayton State University as well as the team at Achieve Atlanta.”
“I am honored to be here to celebrate this truly remarkable partnership that embodies our shared commitment to empowering students and enhancing educational opportunities,” Watson-Harris said. “The collaboration between Clayton State University and Achieve Atlanta is truly remarkable. Our goals align so closely with [CSU’s] strategic plan because both of our organizations are dedicated to increasing access to higher education and enhancing student success, promoting diversity and inclusion within our academic environments.”
The two institutions will continue to collaborate to provide student recruitment support, utilize local nonprofits to fund college success coaches, work with college ambassadors to conduct outreach efforts, scholarship distribution and many more evidence-based practices to enrich the student experience here at CSU.
Achieve Atlanta supports students who graduated from APS and have entered Clayton State University since 2017, applied for and were awarded the AATL Scholarship, and enrolled at CSU in the fall immediately following their high school graduation.
In partnership with Achieve Atlanta, Clayton State appoints a strategic leader to serve as a Campus Liaison to be a point of contact for services such as Financial Aid, Enrollment Service, and Career Services, and Faculty and Housing Services/Residence Life to aid AATL Scholars and APS students admitted to the university.
Clayton State also provides greater recruitment, admission, and enrollment opportunities for APS students. It assigns a Campus Coordinating Advisor for meetings, workshops, and resources for all Scholars.
Scholars are also provided with sound financial planning and assistance from Clayton State University, as well.
“We are united in our pursuit of ensuring all students, regardless of where they start, can achieve their highest aspirations,” Watson-Harris said. “We have had 153 Scholars enrolled at Clayton State University, providing $1.85 million in scholarships to CSU Scholars since the inception of Achieve Atlanta. Through our partnership, we know we’re creating a powerful impact on the lives of our students from the Atlanta community. Together, we are not just advocating for college access and success, but we are fostering a culture of success that resonates within all of our students, our communities, and our families.”
“The partnership marks a significant step forward in our shared mission to empower students and families, enrich our community, and support positive social mobility,” Lewis said. “Our mission is transforming the lives of students through teaching, scholarships, and service. Education is a change-maker for all of us and is the foundation for a bright future and upward social mobility. I’m confident through our efforts here at Clayton State and working with [Achieve Atlanta] that we will make a lasting impact on our students. I look forward to the amazing things we will ‘achieve.’”
Psychology senior LaShell Full and graduate student Marlene Parga-Sanchez, both Achieve Atlanta Scholars at Clayton State University, also spoke on the effectiveness of CSU and AATL’s collaboration, saying it has absolutely made a difference in their lives.
Like Presidents Lewis and Watson-Harris, they too are excited to see the further impacts their partnership will create in the lives of incoming students.
“The Achieve Atlanta program here at Clayton State was very beneficial for students,” Parga-Sanchez said. “We would have workshops here where they would teach us different ways of studying or just resources on campus – it was a way to help us navigate. Achieve Atlanta not only helped me financially but helped me navigate myself in order to transition into a graduate student.”
“Achieve Atlanta really helped me navigate my finances and academic support here at Clayton State,” Full said. “I’m so grateful to now be an Achieve Atlanta Ambassador where I can work with other Scholars. I’m excited to continue working with Clayton State and Achieve Atlanta as I navigate my academic journey.”
For more information on Achieve Atlanta and the support they are providing to CSU through this partnership, please visit Achieve Atlanta.