Money for College

The SAT scores are in, the essays are written, and the applications have been mailed, but the pressure and stress of financing a college education still remains.

The current economic climate has made money very tight in households. Even with tax returns and stimulus packages thrown into communities, many families struggle to pay college tuition.

Politicians often speak of how education is an important concern. Yet, education is used to create a convincing political agenda, and communication is often just words and no action.

Pennsylvania State Sen. Vincent Hughes is among the few who are providing various resources to help relieve this burden off of Philadelphia families. He hosted the “Show Me the Money-the Roadmap to Financial Aid for College” conference at the High School of the Future in West Philadelphia. This one-day conference offered panel discussions and workshops by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), the Campaign for Working Families, the Philadelphia School District-Office of College and Career Awareness and the Mayor’s Office of Education.

“We must ensure that students and parents have the dollars, information, and other resources they need to make positive contributions to the community-at-large. Our Show Me the Money conferences are designed with these goals in mind,” Hughes said.

Scholarships are a great way to pay for college.

Hughes has spent his legislative career focused on higher education issues. As a member of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (SSHE), and the Council of Trustees of Cheyney University, Hughes is committed to education.

Additionally, Hughes created the James Hughes Memorial Scholarship Fund, in honor of his father. Over the past decade, the fund has raised approximately $1 million for Philadelphia high school students. Eighty scholarships have been given out since its existence.

“Accessing high quality affordable education is inextricably tied to a young person’s ability to compete successfully in the global marketplace,” Hughes said.

According to the 2009-2010 reports from the College Board, “more than $168 billion in financial aid is available to students and their families.” The report also mentions “about two-thirds of all full-time undergraduate students receive grant aid.”

Associate Director of Financial Aid at Rosemont College Sarah Fevig has spent her 20-year career dealing with families worrying about financing their children’s college education.

Fevig encourages parents and students to start the search for aid with scholarships. The next step is to fill out the free United States Department of Education Federal Student Aid (FASFA). This is the free application for federal aid. It uses income tax information from parents or from students if their working. FASFA calculates a score for colleges to determine what kind of aid students qualify for—this is called the Expected Family Contribution.

Associate Director of Financial Aid at Rosemont College Sarah Fevi gives information about federal programs.

“FASFA is one of the most reliable sources for aid for a student entering college,” Fevig said.

Nikoya Black is a mother of a West Catholic High School ninth grader. She already pays approximately $650 a month for her son’s high school education. Her son is an active baseball player and has goals of attending Stanford University. However, Black’s Show Me the Money souvenir bag was filled with information on how to pay for a higher education.

“He’s very into the college process. I will use this information for him and [myself] because I was thinking about going to school too,” Black said.

Mykina Simmons of West Philadelphia also attended the conference. She has a brother who is a senior in high school, but does not receive much information about financing his college education from his school or guidance counselor.

“I really haven’t heard too much information from him saying that they were going to help him find scholarships. His guidance counselor is sometimes unavailable to him,” Simmons said.

Her brother is involved in various basketball leagues, but academics come first in their household.

“Sometimes the recreation centers were he plays basketball, points him into the right direction. The community outreach is better than the school in that aspect,” Simmons said.

Simmons received encouragement for herself, too. She wants to return to school. Two years of her college experience was spent at Lincoln University, but she did not feel apart of the college community. She does not want to finish at Lincoln, but rather find a different institution.

Niemma Aiken and Kia Miller are in 10th grade and have started the college process.Andria Mebane, an 11th graders at Charter High of Architecture and Design, learned a lot about essay writing.

“You have to write down key points about yourself, [because] you’re selling yourself in the essay,” Mebane said.

She also gathered information on how to use Internet search engines to look for scholarships. For example, she was taught to use FastWeb.com.

Despite her school focusing on the current senior class, Mebane and other 11th graders are focused on the state standardized tests—PSSAs—and the SATs. Even so, Mebane knows that she wants to attend an all female university and plans to study psychology and minor in history.

Walnut Hill: We-Inspire in West Philadelphia

Ten 10th and 11th grade girls sat around a science classroom while eating their pizza lunch in the West Philadelphia High School Academy for Automotive and Mechanical Engineering.

These girls were selected to be apart of the We-Inspire program hosted by the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children. Every week in March, these girls are introduced to professional women in numerous industries. This week was “Women in Business Week.” Program director, Ekeoma Washington, invited several women in various business industries.

Sara Canuso—A Suitable Solution, Kya Mason—Wachovia Bank, Branch Manager, Ashley Rosenthal, Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Nicole Newman—Newman Networks, and Renee Amoore—the Amoore Group were the panelists.

Although Washington provided background information for the students to do their own research about these business women, some girls were shy, but eventually opened up and asked many engaging questions.

“Always project a confident image,” Canuso says.

She is the president of A Suitable Solution. She is an image and body language specialist. Canuso helps individuals create great first impressions. To keep positive thoughts in her mind, she writes 15 daily affirmations.

“Time, dress and communication are important for an interview,” Mason says.

She also expresses that when people are hired at her branch, some look uninterested in the job. With this attitude, Mason says she will not hire these individuals.

“You have to start somewhere,” Newman says.

Her various personal struggles and revelations left many girls speechless. She told the girls that grades and attitudes were important, as well.

Vice principal, Ms. Cox asks the girls if they know the person who owns the local corner store or hair salon. A few girls shoot their arms up and realize that they know several community entrepreneurs.

Not only does she know entrepreneurs, but 10th grader, Ashai, dreams of starting her own laptop animation business.

Amoore is an entrepreneur, but started her path differently. She began her career as a registered nurse working in Harlem and South Bronx hospitals. After years of working for various companies and helping the local communities, Amoore wanted to work for herself. Thus, she opened her own healthcare company. The Amoore Group serves various international, national and local communities in Baltimore, Washington DC, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Norristown, and Philadelphia.

“If you are not educated, you cannot make money,” Amoore says.

On March 25, the We-Inspire Program hosts an awards night at the Vesper Boat Club recognizing several hard working women from West Philadelphia who bring positivity and encouragement in their communities.

Trenae McDuffie

Walnut Hill: The Barber Shop and the Community

Keeping edges sharp and cuts crisp, Universal Cutz is the popular barbershop of the neighborhood. The shop is located on 42nd and Baltimore Avenue. This social center builds bonds between men from diverse backgrounds.

African American, Caucasian, Indian, Vietnamese and Russian men get cuts or hang out for entertaining conversation. Most of the diverse demographics are men attending the local universities and those who live in the surrounding neighborhood. Some clients living in southwest Philadelphia travel at least 15 minutes to get their hair cut by one of the barbers.

Troy Taylor, co-owner, has been cutting hair since 1988. Over his 20-year career, he has worked in many barbershops.

During his training at Tri-City Barber School located on 5901 N. Broad St., Taylor met Leon Chley. After leaving this institution, both men began to work in various local barbershops.

First, the pair started at Hair Artistry from 1990 to 1996. Next, Taylor and Chley cut hair at the Cutting Zone from 1996 to 2001. From this shop, Taylor then operated his own shop with two other associates.

In 2001, Taylor and his partners ran a shop called Bling Bling—which used to be located on 43rd and Pine streets. However, business relationships were not successful. Thus, Taylor saw an opportunity to manage a different shop. That was when, Taylor and Lenwood Washington, co-owner of Universal Cutz, ventured to open a new shop that focused on professionalism, comfort and meeting clients needs. In October 2006, Universal Cutz opened its doors on 42nd and Baltimore Avenue.

“This was a better location. [The shop] is more accessible by bus and trolley,” Taylor said.

Prior to his management at Universal Cutz, Washington had cut hair on and off for 12 years. With the support of his family and Taylor, who is his cousin, encouraged Washington to use his creativity and improve his barber skills.

Spending the past three years at Universal Cutz, Washington has not only cut men’s hair, but he has developed skills to tend to female clients. He can clip dead hair ends and shape up the edges of their necks.

“I like helping the community. Making everyone look good [and] knowing that that’s my work. It makes you feel good to make someone else look good,” Washington said.

Yet client’s sentiments are not the only way to measure success. Based on the number of clients who come back for a cut or conversation, Washington said that the business must be doing something right.

“We were trying to expand and do something different,” Washington said.

To provide styles fitting to his clients wants, Washington will ask what they are looking for and try to interpret the haircut.

Other family members of Taylor have gained creditable experience from being in the shop. Mike Taylor, 16, is Taylor’s son. One of three boys and one girl, Mike has had barber experience since he was 11 years old.

“It was just something I do when I’m bored. [I’m not into cutting hair], but I really want to play football,” Mike said.

Yet his dad compliments his skills.

“He probably [can cut] sharper than me. That’s because he is younger than me,” Taylor said as he smiled while Mike cut his hair.

This Philadelphia Electric Academy11th grader does not have plans to stay in the family business, but rather cut hair as a hobby and to make extra money. He aspires to be a student athlete at Temple or Drexel University.

Despite Mike focusing on a different career path, Taylor’s 25-year-old nephew, G Bazeman, has spent the past nine months as an apprentice. Under his uncle’s supervision, G Bazeman has his own chair and work station.

From the numerous combs, guards and clippers, Bazeman knows to use a wider comb on thicker the hair. The most famous comb is the Afro picks. Likewise, the smaller the guard is used on a clipper, the more hair that it will take off.

Bazeman’s favorite trimmer for creating a part is the Andis model clippers. Similarly, he uses the original Andis clippers with T-blades that give a decisive crisp step into fades.

Within the next few months, Bazeman plans to complete his barber license.

Although Taylor and Washington are the business owners, they still pay rent on the building. The property is owned by Powelton Properties—a leading management specialist of rental properties in West Philadelphila and University City.

In the next five years, Taylor hopes to expand in the North Philadelphia area. He wants to keep this concept of diversity in his shop especially on college campuses.

On average 200 to 300 clients come through the Universal Cutz doors every week. Thursday, Friday and Saturday are the busiest days of the week and the waiting time can be prolonged.

But do not fret. Not only do these barbers pamper the client, they entertain as well. Conversations of popular music artists, neighborhood gossip or watching Leon dance the old school Soul Train line are a few aspects of this lively barbershop.

Trenae McDuffie, Walnut Hill

Cedar Park: Vietnamese Cuisine

Opening its doors just four months ago, the Vietnam Café brings friends in for a quick lunch and entertains 40th birthday celebrations.

This restaurant is nothing new to Southern Vietnamese owner Benny Lai. In 2008, he and his family members ran a small BYOB restaurant. Opening the Vietnam Café in November 2009 was an expansion of this business.

The café now has a liquior license and the capacity to hold large parties. Furthermore, Lai owns the Vietnam Restaurant in Chinatown. According to Lai, juggling two restaurants was not difficult.

“[In the] beginning it was hard, but now we are so used to it,” Lai said.

For the next six months, Lai will continue to increase the menu selections. Traditionally, southern Vietnamese cuisine has French influence. Using raw vegetables, mint and basal leaves, most foods are grilled. Unlike heavier Chinese foods, chefs at the café cook in less oil and grease. Additionally, Vietnamese food uses more Chile spice than Thai food.

Most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are the busiest times. When young professionals and people from Mainline, City Avenue and Manayunk finally thaw out from the wintry season, the Vietnam Café will be full of activity.

Trenae McDuffie, Cedar Park