AVID is a program that started at Sam Barlow in 2007. Mrs. Rethwell, the AVID coordinator at Barlow, stated that “2011 was the first graduating AVID class at Barlow.” Since then, Mrs. Rethwell has helped guide hundreds of AVID students to success. Mrs. Rethwell is an AVID 9 teacher, but she’s also the AVID coordinator, who “Helps the teachers with whatever they need for their class and program, like field trips, college visits, and facilitating with the tutors.” Mrs. Rethwell also said students curious about AVID are usually invited in 8th grade. In 12th grade, AVID students create a presentation about why students should join AVID, and any students who are interested, apply for AVID get interviewed and are usually accepted.
Typically, every year in AVID, students go on field trips. According to Mrs. Rethwell, “Freshmen go to Oregon State University, sophomores go to the University of Oregon, juniors pick a private college to go to, and seniors go to Western Oregon University.¨ Some requirements for AVID are that you must have a 2.5 GPA and you must complete volunteer hours, but each year has a different set of hours. Freshmen are expected to volunteer for 10 hours a year, sophomores 14 hours, and juniors 18-20 hours. Seniors must only volunteer for 10 hours, because most are busy writing scholarships and applying for colleges.
AVID teachers usually provide scholarships for students through AVID, and students get to write and submit essays to earn multiple college scholarships. For example, last year, students in AVID won 1.2 million dollars in scholarships by combining all students’ scholarships. At the time, there were 34 seniors who won scholarships. This year at Barlow there are approximately 182 students in AVID. A sophomore AVID student, Miley Zaki, mentioned that, “AVID has made me have a stronger leadership role and it has brought me closer to the community.”
AVID is not only about learning, writing, taking notes, and reading, but also about helping you become a better person. Zaki has stated that “AVID is more than a class, it’s a family that pushes you to be your best and gives you the tools to reach your goals.”
Barlow also has multiple AVID teachers, including Mrs. Rethwell, Mr. Jones, Mr. Carey, Mrs. Kopperman, Mr. Molony, and Mrs. Arnold, who are all passionate about helping students succeed.
All AVID students and staff encourage you to join AVID for assistance in college prep, trade school applications, better grades, and much more.. The program also builds friendships that go beyond high school. Zaki said, “Not only did I meet so many new people and make so many new friends, but I met my best friend that I now can’t live without.” For many Bruins, AVID has become a path to a brighter future, and it could be yours, too.
