Dear Dr. Brinson and Mr & Mrs. Wynn, I would like to share how much your College Planning Bootcamp program gave my middle school and high school daughters such a big impact in their mindset about their education and future. They will be the first generation in our family who are going to graduate from college. This is really a big deal for me as a parent, who does not really know how to help their kids to be reaching their highest potential to prepare them for college. Just thinking about the cost to go to college, it’s just a pipe dream for my family. It’s just impossible. This camp gave us hope and showed us the possibility for my daughters to fulfill their dreams. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for giving the opportunity for my daughters to attend your camp.Parent of 7th and 9th Graders

For my daughter, I feel this experience assisted greatly in cementing the focus to get a higher education. She loves the arts and theater, your program made her more focused and determined to map out a true course of action and the importance of maintaining her GPA.Parent of 7th Grader

The times were a hard fast 0900hrs to 1400hrs daily from Monday to Thursday. I dropped my son off and picked him up personally everyday. In the mornings, someone was available to welcome the students at least by 0830hrs. Breakfast was even provided. Afterwards the parents were encouraged to leave and allow students freedom to develop the necessary skills on their own. The instructors made the students engage in dialogue and introspection. I carefully monitored my child's behavior before and after each session. What I noticed was a shift in readiness and eagerness as the week progressed. A standard had to be set. Once the Boot Camp Proctors established an expectation, the kids were able to adjust and propel themselves forward. Listening to the speeches the students gave at the closing ceremony justified driving roundtrip from Clearwater to St. Pete twice each day. My son is an Honor Roll student, and he left the program saying he felt he needed to do better in school. His knowledge base increased about post-secondary education, scholarships, and career options. He came away talking about a backup plan if his first choice fell short. In closing, all I can do is applaud Pinellas County Schools, Dr. Lewis Brinson, Mr. & Mrs. Mychal Wynn & staff, for the foresight and mindset to provide our middle school students with a vision of success.Parent of Middle School Student

We felt the boot camp was extremely valuable, helpful, informative and necessary. Too many of our scholars are unaware of the steps that are necessary before attending college and are somewhat clueless about preparing before it is too late. Our daughters did not realize the value of a résumé until they attended the boot camp. They are now familiar with some of the requirements that are needed to get into the college or university of their choice. They also have a pathway to guide them along the way throughout their middle and high school years.Parent of Middle School Student

The College Planning Boot Camp was so valuable for my daughter. She has gained so much knowledge about the college process. She also got an opportunity to learn about her personality and her learning style. It gave her an opportunity to research colleges based on her interests. She is now familiar with a résumé and she knows what classes and extracurricular activities she needs to take to boost up her résumé and her chances in pursuing a college career. Thank you so much for this opportunity.Parent of Middle School Student

My daughter was excited to come home each day to tell her family how her day was. It was very beneficial for her. She discussed how she learned how to create a résumé for college and what should be included. She didn't know that you have to write an essay to get into a college. She learned how it's important to start looking now for colleges of interest and how much it cost to attend. She now understands the importance of earning scholarships. This is just to name a few; however, it was very beneficial and I would recommend anyone to sign their child up who have plans on attending a college or university. Parent of Middle School Student