“I want to become a teacher, but I can’t pay for college.”
“Can you help my mom fill out my FAFSA?”
“I didn’t pass a class! Can I make up the credits and graduate over the summer?”
Fielding big questions–and alleviating heavy worries–are all in a day’s work for Amy Derrer, CIS Program Manager and Site Coordinator at Mancelona High School.
Working on the front lines of student career and college readiness, the unflappable Amy has seen it all, so she’s ready for whatever challenge comes her way. Over the course of her career, she’s shepherded thousands of students to the pathways that suit their interests and their life situations.
“It’s my job to help kids in any capacity that I can,” Amy shared.
Whether she’s connecting kids with clean clothes, food, or toiletries, helping families fill out FAFSA forms, or meeting with college officials to explain a student’s scope of need, Amy empathizes with and empowers students to seize the futures that await them.
Ten years into her tenure at Mancelona High (and almost 20 as a CIS team member), Amy starts every day with a skip in her step, confident that she can supply students with the tools and answers that they need to move forward.
“My job is all about relationships–making them and keeping them. That’s the biggest and best part of my work,” Amy noted.
As a connector extraordinaire, Amy’s network of collaborators includes local employers, financial aid counselors, social service professionals, and college admissions team members that support students whose family, academic, or financial circumstances set them apart from their peers.
In many situations, the students that she works with are among the first in their families to apply to college. Often, they rely on Amy to explain to their parents that their dreams don’t have to be deferred.
“Some parents just need to be supported when it comes to helping their kids with high school level homework, filling out FAFSAs, or figuring out where to start when preparing for college. It’s my job to connect the dots,” she said.
Some days, connecting the dots means driving up to a student’s college of choice to explain their circumstances to a coach and financial aid staff, or helping kids access free tutoring. Other days, it means planning a summer graduation celebration for credit recovery students and their families. Going the distance for kids is her passion–and her superpower.
